Keorapetse rules on Moswaane's exaggerated counterfeit medicines claims
Larona Makhaiza | Wednesday March 18, 2026 06:00
In Parliament today, Keorapetse revealed that Moswaane did adduce evidence to what he alleged and has prepared a ruling.
'Moswaane provided a dossier of evidence with several documents, this included savingrams, newspaper extracts, letters from BOMRA, letters from the Ministry of Health, and even a death certificate,' Keorapetse added.
The ruling follows a debate on the budget speech a few weeks ago when Moswaane accused the previous regime of putting Batswana's lives at risk with the influx of 'bad medications'.
'Go na le kgang yee tsweletseng pele yee ke batlang go e lemosa ka boikokobetso jo bo seng kana ka sepe. Ka gore ka ngwaga wa 2023– 2024 go nnile le an influx ya melemo e substandard e tseneng lefatshe le ka bokete,' Moswaane said. Which loosely translates to, 'There is news going round that I would like to point out. Back in 2023 to 2024, there was an influx of medications that were dispensed across the country.'
He did not stop there, and further said, 'Seemo se, se ne se sa siamelang matshelo a Batswana. Dingaka di tshela ka frustration ba itse ka tlhwaafalo gore melemo e ba e neelang balwetsi e substandard, counterfeit products,' Moswaane alleged.
As the news stirred public unrest, Member of Parliament (MP) for Kgatleng East Mabuse Pule rose on a point of order, calling for Moswaane to adduce evidence to what he alleged, arguing that it puts a disdain on the Botswana Democratic Party's (BDP) name.
Keorapetse, however, said the provided evidence did not guarantee that there was an influx of substandard medicines issued.
'The allegations suggest that during the years 2023 and 2024, there was an influx of substandard medicines circulated in Botswana. The evidence provided points to two incidents where certain medicines were recalled by CMS (Central Medical Stores) on account of quality complaints on the product,' he said.
'His evidence confirms there were some quality issues on certain medicines, which ended up being recalled. His evidence, however, fails to prove that such amounts to an influx. To find that two incidents where drugs were recalled for quality complaints amount to an influx, in my humble opinion, is an unnecessary exaggeration,' Keorapetse said.
On the allegations that doctors are under duress, that they dispensed substandard medications to patients, Keorapetse said Moswaane failed to prove the allegation.
'On allegations that doctors are under extreme frustration over the fact that they give patients substandard medications, no evidence was produced to support this allegation. Moswaane did not provide any doctors' statements or a sworn affidavit from a medical practitioner on the 'extreme frustration'. This allegation is also an unfortunate extreme exaggeration,' he said.
Additionally, Keorapetse established that Moswaane was once again exaggerating when he said paediatric medication led to many fatalities.
'His evidence does not provide any indication of accidents and fatalities amongst children. In fact, the death certificate he provided is one for a 60-year-old female, a person who is most certainly not a child. Additionally, the deceased's certificate does not speak to any ingestion of paediatric medicine,' Keorapetse said.
He highlighted that the only evidence on paediatric medication was the recall of medications, but pointed out that it can't merit an influx.
'Certain paediatric medicines were recalled in October 2022 after 4,998 units had been dispatched, undoubtedly this is a concern. However, to go as far as to say this led to accidents and fatalities amongst children will be an unnecessary extension of this concern. Moswaane unnecessarily exaggerated the fact that medicines had been recalled and associated it with death,' he said.
However, he said some of Moswaane's allegations were on merit, more specifically, that some medicines were recalled.
'Indeed, Moswaane's evidence shows that certain drugs had entered the country and were then recalled because they were deemed not to be suitable. It is fair for Moswaane to have made that statement at the time,' he said.
In the overall ruling, Keorapetse ruled that Moswaane erred big time.
'Now overall, Moswaane is found to have made grave exaggerations with respect to the allegations as demonstrated above,' ruled the Speaker.
Rather than ordering him to withdraw the statements, Keorapetse warned him to refrain from making such remarks again.
'Accordingly, Moswaane is strongly cautioned against making inflated hyperbolic statements on the floor of the house he has been able to provide evidence,' he ruled.