It has recently been brought to my attention that Ascendis Health, a JSE listed company, has been spending billions acquiring various companies which manufacture natural health products. They started their 7 figure acquisition orgy in 2012 with the acquisition of Nimue and SSN for R120 Million and over the next few years acquired Solal, Marltons, Pharma Natura and Arctic Healthcare among others for well over a Billion Rand. It is rumoured that there are other natural health product companies which Ascendis is currently in discussions with, with a view of acquiring. On the surface this might not seem worth the mention. After all, they do call themselves Ascendis Health and what can be more natural than for a company entering the healthcare market to be buying up healthcare brands? Isn’t that what the capitalist corporate acquisition game is all about? Trying to accumulate as many smaller companies as possible in order to establish a monopoly in a given market sector? Sadly this is seen as normal and accepted behaviour in our society and not many eyebrows are raised when this information is encountered but if we delve a little deeper, an altogether more sinister picture unfolds.
Dr Wellner, CEO of both Efekto and Ascendis health, makes no mention of his affiliation with Efekto in his Linkedin profile
Dr. Karsten Uwe Harald Horst Wellner, PhD has been the executive director of Ascendis Health Limited since July 2011. From 1989 to 2001, Dr. Wellner served at Fresenius AG. From 2001 to 2008, he served as Managing Director of Fresenius Kabi, Executive Vice President of Africa and Middle East. Seems like a perfect candidate for the Ascendis CEO job but it seems that, according to Bloomberg, Dr Wellner also serves as CEO for Effekto care Ltd.1
SAPS “Dagga Ops” helicopter used to conduct ecocide in the Eastern cape using Kilomax Glyphosate distributed by Efekto, sister company to Ascendis Health.
Effekto are the licenced South African agents for Monsanto’s Roundup and Kilo Max glyphosate based herbicides. Glyphosates have been linked to birth defects and the World Health Organisation recently announced that it probably causes cancer in humans.2 It is the chemical used by the SAPS to spray dagga and food crops in the Eastern Cape. Enough has been written elsewhere about the incredible detrimental impact of this poison on the environment and on the people who are unwittingly and unwillingly exposed to it in the South African government’s chemical warfare campaign against the poorest of the poor in our country for me not to have to comment further here. 3
Vitaforce, one of the many brands trusted by South Africans and owned by Monsanto’s South African distributors along with other household brands such as Bettaway and Solal.
Monsanto Roundup and KiloMax are distributed by the same corporates who are buying up trusted natural health brands
The link between Efekto and Ascendis is far more substantial than just a communal CEO though, substantial as that is. Both Ascendis and Efekto are owned outright by the same holding company namely Coast-2-Coast Holdings Ltd. If you ever have the misfortune of visiting their rather sterile-feeling HQ in Bryantson, you will find a mock health store as you walk into the foyer, sporting all the products they market. Peppered among health products on the the shelves are rows of Roundup and Kilomax. It seems almost bipolar for a company to be selling ‘health’ products from one hand, and demonstrably ‘harmful toxins ‘from the other. Founders Cris Dillon and Gary Shayne cemented their partnership at a Warren Buffet conference and are such ardent admirers of the controversial capitalist that their web site contains a quote from him on the front page. These people adhere to the corporate philosophy which places profits above all else regardless of human or planetary cost.
The question that begs asking here is; How does the average consumer of some of the most trusted natural health brands in South Africa feel about inadvertently supporting ecocide in the Eastern Cape? When seen against the backdrop of the SA government’s recent policy changes which saw many nutritional supplements being reclassified as medicine thus effectively forcing many small companies which were supplying affordable natural health care out of business due to the exorbitant medicine registration costs, it becomes apparent that your natural health spend additionally supports the demise of small natural health companies as it has now become the exclusive domain of large corporates such as Ascendis. Their empire is highly geared, having gambled on the hopes that the new regulatory regime for natural health products will eradicate small and medium companies who can’t comply with the regulatory requirements to register.
Maize crops in the Eastern Cape destroyed by SAPS airwing using Monsanto Glyphosate for which Efekto is the licensed SA agent.
This twist in the tale of the corporate onslaught on human health highlights the ‘controlled opposition’ strategy used by the corporatocracy. On the one hand they poison people and the environment, causing disease while simultaneously establishing monopolies on healthcare. According to one source; “Ascendis–owned companies have already begun reformulating many of their products without informing the public. In many cases, nutrient contents have been lowered and herbs replaced. Whether these products will remain effective, which made them household staples in the first place, remains to be seen.” Readers of this blog are familiar with the healing properties of cannabis and should take note that the same companies who supply the poison to kill the plants which cures the cancers caused by the poison used to kill the plants are sneakily manoeuvring to profit from their atrocities.
The Dagga Dissident 
Reblogged this on theplan.is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I also reblogged this on my FB page
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is cause for great concern and give us a good guide as to what products we need to avoid.Where is this all going?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Profiting from dis-ease is a practice as old as the proverbial hills…. Doctors on every level as well as natural health care therapists have always been doing it….It’s not bad….it’s a way of adding value to someone’s life and making a living. -it’s is also referred to as fair exchange.
HOWEVER, the deciding factor between the ‘them’ [the Monsanto’s et al] and us; is integrity; the fairness of the exchange and the value added. When motivation comes from a level of fear driven competition and the will to dominate and have controlling power…..?!….well, …integrity at that level just does not exist.
SO….instead of whinging and moaning about it…….what are we going to do about it?
Personally…..I’m a fan of the Gandhiji approach……”Take back your own power!”
No matter what – “they” will not change who I am. I am a Natural Health & Life Coach. In my heart and soul I will always consciously choose the natural path for myself and my clients…..and I believe – Good does prevail. We’ve just gotta get off our butts and make it happen – one person; one family at a time!
LikeLike
Thanks for your input Health & Life Improvement Options. You make some valid observations but I am afraid your perception is slightly skewed. Please see my comments bellow:
1) Fair exchange is not equal to profit. Profit is a demonic concept based on exploitation and engineered lack. The two concepts have been deliberately conflated through cultural conditioning in order to lend credence to the profit motive. Fair exchange accounts for the total value contributed by both parties and implies reciprocity whereas profit by it’s very definition requires an advantageous gain or return.
2) I agree that the corporations do not act with integrity and would like to add that this is not a choice but an inherent characteristic of the corporate entity which exists first and foremost to show a profit for it’s shareholders which renders it incapable of acting with integrity as that would require compromising on profit. Corporations do indulge in token philanthropy and corporate social Investment for a variety of reasons such as being legally obliged to dos so, tax breaks and public image. NO corporation however will ever do so to the detriment of it’s profit.
3) I also agree that the ultimate responsibility lies with the individual. We do live in a fractal reality where the micro is echoed in the macro. Spreading information such as the contents of this article is vital because it pierces veils of deception, in this case many ‘consumers’ who believe that they are acting in integrity by supporting natural health brands are made aware that they are in fact feeding a larger corporate beast which is actively contributing to economical warfare against the poorest of the poor and ecocide in South Africa. It shatters the illusion of ethical consumerism and places the responsibility right back in the lap of the individual.
A little off topic and perhaps not relevant at all but just to demonstrate that perceptions are easily flawed, Ghandi was in fact a racist and caste supremacist who volunteered in the British army during the Zulu wars in Natal where he rose to the rank of non commissioned officer. He despised black people and wrote extensively on the superiority of Indians over Africans, in fact his biggest gripe with colonial rule in South Africa was not so much that it was inherently racist but rather that Indians were cast on the wrong side of the dividing line.
4) I disagree that good will always prevail by default. This is a dangerous new age fallacy along with pacifism and non violence which is little more than the shirking of responsibility. The concept of good and evil has to be seen from a bigger perspective where they are merely flip sides of the same coin. Both forces will always be present in a a state of continuous flux. Pacifism is tacit complicity with evil. Unless we consciously align ourselves with good and take action to support that alignment, we are unwittingly aligning ourselves with the other side.
LikeLike
Apologies for the bold font – WordPress seems to be insisting on it ?!?
LikeLike
Hi,, and thanks for that…..
1. Fair exchange…..simply one thing for another. I have the answer for your pain….you pay me for the answer…..it’s the basic capitalist route…….I have a car I cannot fix….I pay a mechanic to keep her in good repair and mobile…..I really appreciate and value his skill, care and time in keeping me mobile and safe. Demonic is certainly not the word I would use for that ‘fair exchange’. He needs money to keep his family alive; so do I….and I need my vehicle to do that…. Considering we are the only species on earth that pays to live on it….it’s what it is…
However, if he were a ‘schmuk mechanic’ the exchange would not be fair….and I have the personal power to simply choose not trade with him again !
2. Integrity. I agree with what you say. Yes, big corporates are shareholder / money driven….however it is up to us to choose our level of association. Sharing the above knowledge allows us to do just that. We have been blessed with the capacity to make choices….at the end of it all ….everything comes down to what choice we make……and then deal with the consequences….no blame.
3. As I asked…..”SO….instead of whinging and moaning about it…….what are we going to do about it?”
4. Gandhiji…..my statement was….”I’m a fan of the Gandhiji approach Take back your own power!” ….I did not refer to him in his personal capacity /his likes or dislike or his political convictions…… ….Maybe I should have been clearer in specifically referring to his walk through India to the beach to reclaim the making of salt…. from the British.. Apologies for misleading the reader.
5. It is my perception…..I DO believe Good will prevail…….No, neither as a new-age concept…nor as a pacifist. Rather more definitively stated…..”We’ve just gotta get off our butts and make it happen ….” I don’t think that has “….tacit complicity with evil” attached to its meaning.anywhere……but then again….it was your perception…
I trust things are clearer and we can now both get back to choosing to do the good we can, with the information we have and the intention and vision we believe in.
Blessings to you.
LikeLike
With all due respect, you are conflating concepts which is resulting in a serious misunderstanding of the root cause of the situation we find ourselves in as a planetary society.
As I said before, fair exchange implies equal reciprocity. Profit implies advantageous gain. For one to be at an advantage, the other has to be at a disadvantage therefore no exchange where profit is made can ever be fair. Profit is indeed a demonic concept and is a central tenet of capitalism which is a demonic system. Capitalism, usury, fiat currency and the corporations which use it are in direct opposition to fairness and true value exchange in a sustainable economy. Capitalism at it’s core is a classist and exploitative system which requires infinite growth. A VERY bad idea on a planet with finite resources.
The mistake you are making is to confuse fair exchange of value and free marketism with profit and capitalism. The two are actually diametrically opposed.
What to do about it? First of all, spreading awareness about just how rigged the game is is a good start. Programmed illusions and delusions have to be shattered in order to birth an integrated and sustainable society. Insanity has on occasion been defined as; “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” What is required is radical change at a grassroots level, not a change in consumer habits. The metaphorical Ivory tower must be torn down and replaced with an equally metaphorical cooperative permaculture farm. Decentralisation, commons based peer production, the collapse of silos and value chains into self organising, integrated and localised value networks, disbandment of centralised governments and in it’s stead the formation of autonomous federal and localised mini states with short feedback loops to the people in a truly representative model capable of rapid change and adjustment to local conditions. In short, collapse industrial capitalism and the associated corporations, including corporate government and banks and allow the genius of life which is inherent in every human to self organise.
LikeLike
Yes, agreed. You go do what you can….
LikeLike
Some great investigative journalism here. Well done! Shocking news! I used Sportron a lot but if this turns out to be true, no more supplements for me. I am going to tweet this and see if I can get further answers from Sportron etc
Even worse is that not ONCE were consumers either warned or notified. How dare they!
LikeLike
Hi Caroline, Yes, sadly Sportron HAS been bought out by them! I, have used Sportron for years, recovered from paralysis with the aid of their products…..and have, as a distributor, confidently recommended to my clients over many years.
In receipt of correspondence from them, I note at the bottom of their e-mail is: “Proud members of Ascendis Health” as a ‘logo’.
I cannot stop them from what they are doing…..but my integrity as a Natural Health & Life Coach does not allow me to support them. Their products will be removed from my webpage…..as soon as possible.
Frankly, with the whole CODIS organization too…..it appears these companies were just not prepared to stand together and fight; and neither did they have the belief in their own country folk to support them in that kind of fight either….. That is just so very sad!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Please follow the link to see a response from Chamilla Sanua, owner of the Weleda Pharmacy group, daughter to the former owner of Pharma Natura.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Weleda-Health-and-Pharmacy/168115699947516
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your piece is linked to here http://www.travelwrite.co.za/say-no-to-gmo/
The more people who find out about this, the more the growing sense of betrayal. Well done, guys!
LikeLiked by 1 person