Phaahla made the remarks while answering questions before Parliament’s health committee on Wednesday.

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He was joined by Acting Health Minister Mmamolo Kubayi-Ngubane. 

“This issue that Sahpra is allegedly captured by Bill Gates and what not, that can’t be anything but far from the truth. 

"While there are a number of donors from time to time who contribute, especially when Sahpra was set up and had to catch up with the backlog, there were a number of funds which had to be sourced from a variety of sources to help Sahpra to clear the backlog. 

"And they have gone a long way in terms of doing that. They stick very much to the principles of the sights of any medications which come through and work on whether this is compliant with the requirements,” said Phaahla. 

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The work done by the regulatory body has been questioned by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), with the party claiming that it has been captured by Gates.

The EFF believes this is the reason why vaccines from Russia and China have not been approved by Sahpra.

Last week, the red berets brought Tshwane to a standstill when they marched to the Sahpra headquarters demanding that the Sputnik V and the Sinovac vaccines be added onto the list of approved vaccines. 

The party also demanded that chairperson Helen Rees step down due to her husband’s apparent links to Aspen.

Kubayi-Ngubane used the opportunity to hit back at the EFF for its threats to stage a protest at Rees’ home, saying the attacks on Sahpra members are unnecessary.

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