Softcare ou la liste de Pape Thiaw pour la CAN
Master Massokhna Kane, president of the SOS Consumers Association, once said that Senegalese consumers are difficult to defend because they almost never mobilize for issues related to product quality or price. The Softcare case seems to prove him right. This is a scandal of considerable magnitude, which should have sparked a strong mobilization of Senegalese people from all walks of life and professions.
According to information relayed by the press, the Senegalese Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (ARP), following an inspection, found the presence of expired raw materials in the manufacturing process of diapers and sanitary napkins of this brand.
Even more serious, a former company executive was reportedly fired for reporting these shortcomings, according to media reports. The facts are therefore serious enough to justify a national march, even to the factory if necessary. Unless the courts take up the case and rule otherwise. Yet, this affair has garnered very little attention from the Senegalese public. While the media have reported the information revealed by Libération , and it has been shared and discussed on social media, the interest it has generated remains low compared to other news stories.
Thus, the list published by coach Pape Thiaw has already been widely reported in the press and extensively discussed on social media. Until the end of the weekend, and perhaps even beyond, this list will be debated in public squares, markets, homes, and workplaces. Yet, regardless of the outcome of this sporting competition, its impact on the daily lives of Senegalese people remains limited. Even a victory for Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations will not change the country's economy or its healthcare system.
On the other hand, citizen mobilization for the security of the product distribution chain would have a real impact on prices, and therefore on the economy, but also on public health. Unfortunately, Senegalese people are sometimes willing to spend the night in a stadium parking lot for a rally rather than address issues that directly affect their daily lives. What Senegalese family doesn't have a Softcare product? This brand has become widely established in the national market. A risk associated with these products therefore concerns our wives, our sisters, our nieces, and our children.
This is why, once indignation becomes widespread, it should give way to questions. These questions must be addressed to the bodies responsible for monitoring products placed on the market. What are they actually doing? How effective are they? What resources do they have to fulfill their mission? These are the real questions that need to be raised, beyond the expected sanctions against Softcare.
This is also an opportunity to denounce certain irresponsible stances taken by the press. Faced with such serious accusations, an official response from the company is essential. It has a duty to speak directly to the Senegalese people. Thus, when an article of this kind appears on Senenews, we rush to read it. But the disappointment is great: the headline announces that "Softcare's management defends itself after the sanitary napkin scandal," leading us to hope for an official version. However, upon reading the article, it only refers to "sources close to the company." Enough to make your head spin.
Since when, in journalism, do "sources close to the company" equate to the company's management? The flippant way some media outlets handle issues with such a direct impact on the lives of Senegalese people is unacceptable. The press must stand with the most vulnerable; its mission is not to defend the powerful. Unfortunately, it is straying further from this vocation every day.
Issues of this importance deserve dedicated programming, on-the-ground investigations, site visits, and in-depth analysis with the support of experts, in order to inform public opinion. Only then can the press regain public trust and restore its prestige.
Commentaires (10)
L’évolution technologique et scientifique doit nous faciliter la vie . Les produits finis importés ne sont pas en cause donc c’est le manque de sérieux de nos industries qui posent le véritable problème . Et si on prenait des sanction sévères jusqu’à l’emprisonnement, il y’aurait plus de rigueur . Une telle entreprise liée directement aux couches des enfants et aux serviettes hygiéniques doit être de rigueur car touchant la population la plus vulnérable .
Mon fils a eu des infections fréquentes et je me suis bien dit qu’il ait des faux softcare mais je n’ai jamais pensé que c’est l’usine qui en a fabriqué car ne savais même pas que c’était fabriqué localement .
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