Time-sensitive parcel stuck in customs

A friend of mine sent me a parcel from the UK last week. The timeline we were given was 1-5 days. I had been expecting communication from DHL since then but when I didn't hear anything and eventually tracked the parcel, I noticed it had a daily recording of a 'clearance event' since Friday. I called DHL this morning and was told everything was fine and I should just wait. When nothing had changed by the afternoon I called again and this time, I was informed that I was the bottleneck because I had not completed the clearance requirements. NONE of these requirements were communicated when the parcel was sent so I find myself in a precarious position where I cannot access a time-sensitive parcel that I would never have handed over to DHL in the first place if there had been some transparency about the process from the outset. Engagements with the call centre agents have been frustrating as their attitude is that I should have known how things work and they cannot be held responsible for the fact that DHL UK did not disclose South African policies. The term 'express service' has been a real misnomer here