By REGINALD KANYANE
The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) calls on the South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa to publicly table a detailed, costed and practical vaccine acquisition plan. DA Shadow Minister of Health, Siviwe Gwarube said Ramaphosa has a constitutional obligation – as does his entire Executive – to be transparent about the vaccine acquisition and distribution plan.
“We committed to approaching the courts for relief should this not be done within seven days. Time is now officially up and should the President and his team not publicly table a detailed, costed and practical vaccine acquisition plan by day end, we will proceed with the court action.
“Approaching the courts for relief is the last resort. Despite numerous calls by the DA, civil society, and the public for the government to showcase their plan for rolling out the life-saving vaccine, this has not been done,” Gwarube said.
He further said they are now relying on the precedent that was set during the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) case of 2002 against the department of health, where the courts determined that transparency was key in matters of public health like this one.
Gwarube added that they are now in an unenviable position where South Africa is meant to receive its first batch of vaccines before the end of January.
“We are still none the wiser about when exactly this batch is due to arrive and how the allocation to the provinces will be handled for its healthcare workers. In addition to the glaring questions which remain unanswered about this process, now there is clear evidence that the Department of Health was asleep at the wheel.
“A letter from Treasury states that the DoH only applied to them for deviation from the normal procurement processes for the acquisition of the vaccine on the 7th of January 2021. This is the clearest confirmation that the Executive has been slow-footed in the process of acquiring this vaccine,” he said.
Gwarube said now the country is scrambling and being charged exorbitant fees, but still nowhere near getting the volume of vaccines that is so desperately needed. He said South Africa has no clarity on the exact timelines of the vaccination process including the acquisition, logistics, and distribution.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa said the country will soon receive its first consignment of COVID-19 vaccines from the Serum Institute in India, which is the world’s largest vaccine producer. He said it will signal the start of a mass vaccination campaign that will be the most ambitious and extensive in our country’s history.
“It will reach all parts of the country and will be phased to ensure that those most in need are prioritised. The first vaccines to arrive will be provided to health care workers, who will be targeted in the first phase.
“The second phase will include essential workers, teachers, the elderly, and those with co-morbidities. The third phase will include other adults in the population. A comprehensive rollout strategy and an accompanying logistical framework will be implemented in partnership with the private sector, civil society, traditional leadership, the religious sector, and others,” said Ramaphosa.
He further said it is vital that this is a society-wide campaign, in which everyone is involved and no-one is left behind. Ramaphosa said a year after the novel coronavirus started spreading around the world, the arrival of the vaccine gives great hope for the country’s social and economic recovery – and, most importantly, for the health of our people.
The Guardian 