THE SA National Defence Force (SANDF) on Wednesday confirmed that it has returned 500,000 vials of the Heberon interferon alpha-2B Covid-19 drug to Cuba.
SANDF chief Gen Rudzani Maphwanya told parliament’s portfolio committee on defence and military veterans that the defence force was instructed to either return the medicine or have it destroyed as it was due to expire.
“The SANDF has complied and sent the medicine back to Cuba. We are writing to Sahpra and the auditor-general as the interested parties that we felt we should be re-engaged after we complied,” said Maphwanya.
In December, Sahpra gave military bosses an ultimatum to provide evidence that the drug had been shipped back to Cuba or face having it destroyed.
In April last year, the SANDF spent nearly more than R200 million to import Heberon Alpha R 2B, manufactured by a Cuban-Chinese company.
Interferons are proteins used in the body as
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