The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Wednesday it is hopeful that the case into the R250-million irregular expenditure by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in 2020 on an unapproved anti-Covid vaccine from Cuba, will be handed over for prosecution.

In 2022 the DA called on the then Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, to account to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans regarding reports that the SANDF spent R215-million on importing unproven Covid-19 medication.

The party noted that the order for the Heberon Alpha R 2B, also known as Interferon, was purchased without approval for treatment of Covid-19 by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra). Despite this, Defence officials proceeded.

The DA noted that the military’s logistics department reportedly paid R35-million for the first of three consignments of medication currently in the military health base depot.

The party said it will push for concrete timelines for a full investigation, noting that those responsible for the “SANDF Cuban Covid looting spree under the guise of a public health emergency” must be held to account.

DA National Council of Provinces Member on Security and Justice Nicholas Gotsell explained that the case is advancing again after significant DA pressure noting that the Hawks and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) are proceeding with an investigation, and that complainant statements were taken in person this week to support the charges the DA laid with the South African Police Service in 2022.

Gotsell highlighted that because the criminal investigation had dissipated, the DA used Parliamentary Questions to the Minister of Police to prompt him on the delay in the investigation, and wrote letters to the Minister.

He noted that during the most recent sitting of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, the DA successfully proposed that all Hawks and SIU investigations into corruption and maladministration in the SANDF - including this scandal - be reported on quarterly.

The committee supported this proposal, marking a critical step in restoring transparency and oversight in historical defence misspending.