A South African court has restricted a government proposal to buy 11 million female condoms from China, saying that they are too small, AFP reported Friday.

The finance ministry had awarded a contract to a firm called Siqamba Medical, which planned to buy the Phoenurse condoms from China, the Beeld newspaper said. A rival firm, Sekunjalo Investments Corporation, turned to the High Court in Pretoria after losing the bid, arguing that their condoms were 20 percent larger than the Chinese ones.

Judge Sulet Potterill blocked the deal with Siqamba, ruling that the female condoms were too small, made from the wrong material and were not approved by the World Health Organization, the Beeld report said.