Defence department warns of scammers requesting protective clothing

The department of defence on Friday said “opportunistic scammers” had been pretending to be representatives of the department to solicit personal protective equipment (PPE) including face masks and gloves.

The scammers apparently tell their targets that the equipment is to be delivered to the defence offices.

“Business is warned not to fall into the trap of the fraudulent tender requirements which are not from the department of defence. You are urged to verify any request with the central procurement service centre, based in Thaba Tshwane [in Pretoria] for authenticity of such,” the department warned.

“It must be noted that all requirements by the South African National Defence Force are procured through the official department of defence procurement processes.”

Healthcare workers and unions in South Africa have been raising concern over the shortage of appropriate PPE as the country battles the coronavirus.

On Tuesday, government received a donation of medical supplies and PPE from China, the country in which the disease is thought to have originated.

China's chargé d'affaires in South Africa, Li Nan, handed over the consignment, which included 11 000 N95 masks, 50,000 surgical masks, 3,000 sets of protective suits, 500 portable infrared thermometers, 3 000 goggles, 11 000 pairs of surgical gloves and 11,000 pairs of medical shoe covers to South Africa’s health minister Zweli Mkhize and international relations minister Naledi Pandor.

On Thursday, Mkhize said the number of COVID-19 fatalities in South Africa had increased to 48, and the infections by 99 to 2,605. Nine-hundred-and-three people had recovered from the virus in the country, he said.