The health ministry said that all 20 million of the condoms so far supplied by Zalatex as part of a government-funded distribution programme were being recalled "as a precautionary measure to ensure maximum safety of the public."

"The department of health has already quarantined close to 3.6 million condoms produced by the company and these condoms are currently stored at various warehouses in the country," a statement said.

"The department of health urges the members of the public and all partners involved in the condom distribution programme to return the condoms produced by the company to their nearest condom outlet."

An officials workin for the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), which issues certificates, has already been charged in connection with the scandal.

The employee is said to have received a bribe in order to approve condoms which were of a substandard quality.

Zalatex and the condoms' producers Latex Surgical Products (LSP) had been hired by the government to supply around 80 million condoms.

South Africa has the second highest number of HIV patients in the world after India, with around five million of the 48 million population living with the disease.

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