Page 1 - 14 March 2025

Barkly East is about to become eKhephini. As far as the new town names go, this is
not a bad one. Not like Nqanqarhu (Maclear), that no one can pronounce. Ekhepini
means “in the snow”.
What really irks, is that these transformation agenda. spending during the last 30
bright individuals doing all 2. The ECPGNC is in the years, but they still find
this name changing cannot process standardizing place money in their budget to
even spell Barkly East. and names and other waste on these name
We received a letter from the geographical features as a changes. This means
Barkley East Parliamentary follow-up process to the signage, maps, stationery
C o n s t i t u e n c y O f f i c e application that it received a n d a l o t o f l e g a l
informing us about the for the standardization for documentation has to be
meeting. They have even registration of Lulama changed, and this costs
spelt Barkly East incorrectly Hlanjwa Township, Nkulu- more money, not all this is
By Estelle Ellis in their name! leko Human settlement, the covered in their “budgeted
standardisation Barkley pass mandate”. Please don’t
This meeting is advertised as to Umbombo, Kraai River forget all the “wining and
being held on 13 March Pass to Tyumbu and Barkley dining” that will accompany
2025 at 10h00 at the Barkley East to eKhephini (sic) these changes, while the old
East High School, another gogos and others walk
incorrect spelling. The Please authorities, this around collecting plants, fire
school’s name is not Barkley, town’s name is Barkly East wood, some even resorting
but Barkly. And these are for a few more months. to searching dustbins to put
the alleged leaders of our The other names that are to food on the tables of their
community. be changed Barkly Pass
(Umbombo) and Kraai River dependants.
Our letter sent to my email Pass (Tyumbu), are names
address reads “Dear Ntsebo that are at least used by Have you tried planning a
trip lately? Many new maps
Rinkhals (iNaturalist) Elia”, which further raised some of the locals. only have the new names,
the levels of irritation.
The South African National SAVP sterile manufacturing on progress,” Gcukumana The invitation then states: During a previous meeting you feel completely lost. We
Health Laboratory Service unit. said. held in town, the matter of had to dig out an old map so
has stopped manu- “This deterioration became There are two types of anti- 1. The ECPGNC is a costs was raised and those that we could try to find a
facturing snake, scorpion more apparent during venom in South Africa. Committee established in running the meeting shut the suitable place to stop over.
and spider anti-venom and significant load shedding, Polyvalent anti-venom is terms of Section 2(2)(a) of conversation down with Well let’s be glad that the
has not yet indicated when resulting in frequent made from the poison of 10 the SAGNC Act 118 of 1998. words like “budgeted new name for Barkly East
it will start again, leaving operational disruptions. A types of snakes found in Its major responsibility is to mandate”. Fine and well, but (eKhephini), at least has a
millions of people in sub- steady power supply is southern Africa — puff facilitate the transformation the money for the “budgeted decent meaning. Elliot now
Saharan Africa at extreme important for manufacturing adder, Gaboon adder, and standardisation of mandate” still has to come Khowa was also fortunate.
risk. c o n t r o l l e d - a i r - a n d - rinkhals, green mamba, geographical names and from somewhere and of I feel sorry for foreigners and
course this comes from the
“As of next month people will temperature conditions,” Jameson's mamba, black ensure the implementation travellers who have to try to
o f s t a n d a r d i s e d tax-payers.
start dying,” says Arno Gcukumana said. mamba, Cape cobra, forest geographical names in the Our poor country is in a remember or pronounce
Naudé of Snake Bite Assist. “Due to the extent of the cobra, snouted cobra and province (Eastern Cape), as serious financial crises some new names in South
“Hospitals everywhere tell work required, anti-venom the Mozambique spitting part of the country's thanks to the government Africa, I sure can’t.
me they are running out.” cobra.
manufacturing processes
The National Health had to be temporarily Boomslang anti-venom can So the doctors are refusing reactions. Skilled people a scorpion sting. Their family
Laboratory Service has ad- discontinued during the be used to treat only to administer it, Naudé said. have left the NHLS and their sold everything they had to
m i t t e d t h a t d u e t o renovations. While in the boomslang bites. '“Poor and rural people will equipment is very old.” buy vials of anti-venom, but
construction work, all middle of renovations, the Naudé said the failure of the be hit hard by this. Most state However, he said they had this was made for a scorpion
manufacturing of snake, project experienced delays NHLS to provide sufficient hospitals in rural areas tell been assured that there was in North Africa so it didn't
scorpion and spider anti- due to postponed delivery of anti-venom should cause me they have maybe enough enough stock to see the help,” he said. “We are
venom has ceased and their specialised equipment and outrage in South Africa as left for two or three bites and upgrading project through. facing the prospect of
stockpiles are now empty, the requirement to maintain thousands of lives of both after that, their anti-venom “But then again, we are lied hundreds if not thousands of
except for boomslang anti- required quality standards, humans and animals are will be finished.” to all of the time,” he said. deaths.”
venom. b o t h o f w h i c h w e r e placed at extreme risk. He said if a person who has
“Today, exactly a year ago (4 aggravated by the rigorous “We are going into the He said there was a product “We have a huge crisis on medical aid was bitten by a
in use in Swaziland that was
hand,” Naudé said. “Other
March 2023), we were regulatory environment for second peak of the snake cheaper and worked better countries in sub-Saharan snake today, they could still
assured by the National sterile manufacture. season. During the Easter than the imported product, Africa are buying anti-venom s c r a m b l e a n d f i n d
Health Laboratory (NHLS) “During this period, the holidays, we always see a but in South Africa, it could from the Middle East and something to use. “But [it]
that they have 'more than stockpiles of spider, h u g e i n c r e a s e i n be used only by vets. India. But they can just as might be too late. I have seen
enough' anti-venom,” scorpion, and polyvalent snakebites,” he said. well buy distilled water. It is people die within 9 minutes.”
Naudé said. “We thought anti-venoms were depleted. S e v e r a l s u b - S a h a r a n “They had good results there completely useless. Also, it
they were back on track. But As a result, only the supply of c o u n t r i e s , i n c l u d i n g with this product. Out of 800 isn't stocked by government “The other problem is that
the truth is their stockpile boomslang anti-venom Uganda, had been buying patients bitten, they did not people might survive, but
was next to nothing.” remains available for anti-venom from South have one death. But this hospitals so you also must without anti-venom they will
go buy it yourself.
This week, the NHLS's Mzi distribution. The NHLS is Africa and now had to import product has not yet been likely lose an arm or need a
kidney transplant. The
Gcukumana said that in late now concentrating on the it from elsewhere. approved by the World “No vets have anti-venom s u i c i d e r a t e a m o n g
2024, the service reported commissioning of the “South Africa is importing a Health Organization,” he any more,” Naudé said. snakebite victims within two
that the South African facility. This process entails product from India. It is a said, “and it can't be used on “This country should also be
Vaccine Producers (SAVP) cleaning, validation and little cheaper, but you have to humans in South Africa.” held responsible for the years after the bite is sky
facility had undergone quality control protocols to use more. But this is only Naudé welcomed the deaths that occur in sub- high, he said, “especially
those who suffered a
extensive infrastructure and m e e t t h e r e g u l a t o r y available for emergency use upgrading of the equipment Saharan Africa because of significant injury”.
equipment upgrades. requirements for sterile if you have medical aid. You at the NHLS and said it also what the NHLS has done.”
pharmaceutical production. had become clear that in the Apart from running out of “The government must stop
“These upgrades were can't find this in a state
planned and necessary due “The NHLS is doing hospital. And even if you did, recent past, the anti-venom polyvalent anti-venom, the messing around. Snakebites
to the deterioration of ageing everything possible to speed the product was never supplied by South Africa was NHLS also no longer has have been declared a
infrastructure, which had up the final stages of the intended to be used in South not up to standard. anti-venom for scorpion neglected tropical disease. It
hampered compliance with process to resume snakebite Africa, so it doesn't state on “The quality was not what it stings and spiders. is actually the most
G o o d M a n u f a c t u r i n g anti-venom production and the leaflet that it can be used should have been and we “Two weeks ago, a young neglected,” he said.
Practices (GMP) within the will keep providing updates allergic child died in Botswana after Continued on page 3
saw a lot of
for South African snakes.