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The DA plans to file requests for the Access to Information Promotion Act (PAIA) to compel provincial health departments to publish detailed Covid-19 statistics daily.
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The prosecution’s health spokesperson, Siviwe Gwarube, said that only the Western Cape and Gauteng (albeit to a limited extent) published daily statistics that are broken down by region, deaths and tests conducted.
“The prosecutor has repeatedly raised the issue of credible, consistent and accurate data that gives the country a complete picture of community broadcasts in the fight against Covid-19. It appears that in some provinces there is a desire to retain data from the public for no reason at all. As an example of this absurdity, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government is claiming that these statistics are embargoed. Other provinces are either inconsistent in sharing this information or it is not happening at all, “Gwarube said.
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The issue was raised with Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, he said, adding that understanding how many tests would be carried out would allow the government to ensure that each province was evaluating enough people in relation to its population.
“The crisis in the Eastern Cape, where fewer than 10,000 tests were conducted in five weeks, was discovered much later than it should have been because public disclosure of the test figures was not required. This is an important accountability tool.” .
Gwarube referred to testing in the Western Cape as an effective and transparent model, saying it offered a specific approach to screening and group testing, where positive results had been found.
He also cited information published by the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) for the period from March 4 to April 27, during which the Western Cape conducted 541 tests per 100,000 people, followed by Gauteng with 439 per every 100,000 people, and finally the Free State that led 284 per 100,000 people.
“This information from the NICD underscores the importance of having reliable and consistent provincial data. Information about a global pandemic that is wreaking havoc in our country should never be considered classified,” said Gwarube.
“Each province should have a specific approach to testing, tracing, and tracking while meeting its daily testing goals. These PAIA applications will help us determine that in the coming weeks.”
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