The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) says it cannot take action against German vitamin salesman Matthias Rath. This follows a complaint by the Democratic Alliance (DA) complaint on Thursday that Rath had reopened offices in Cape Town.
DA health spokesperson Mike Waters said Rath had reopened offices in central Cape Town offering products promising the natural control of HIV/Aids. He said Rath was depicting himself as a doctor in literature available at his new office.
The party had submitted a complaint to the HPCSA alleging that Rath was in contravention of the law, since he was not registered as a doctor in South Africa.
However, HPCSA spokesperson Tendai Dhliwayo said the council only deals with registered health professionals and has no jurisdiction over somebody not registered as a doctor. He did not know which organisation would be able to deal with Waters’s complaint.
Waters said he had submitted an application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act to the Medicines Control Council (MCC) for a copy of its report into Rath’s activities in Khayelitsha.
This report investigated events in September 2005 when Rath set up two clinics in Khayelitsha and offered food parcels to people living with HIV in order to convince them to give up their antiretrovirals and take his vitamin-C supplements instead.
Despite being promised the report two years ago, it has not been seen, Waters said.
Comment from the MCC was not immediately available. — Sapa