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DA leader John Steenhuisen.
- The district attorney has questioned the secrecy surrounding the South African government’s Covid-19 vaccine implementation plan.
- He wants President Cyril Ramaphosa to give details of the plan within seven days.
- The party has threatened to go to court if the president does not comply with its demands.
DA leader John Steenhuisen has compared the government’s “secrecy” around the launch of the Covid-19 vaccine to the antiretroviral launch plan for the country’s HIV program.
On Monday, the district attorney gave President Cyril Ramaphosa seven days to outline the government’s plan for a vaccine launch, or face legal action.
Steenhuisen said this during his own national speech, where he questioned the government’s “illusory” strategy on launching the vaccine.
Steenhuisen said the Prosecutor’s Office would need absolute clarity from the government on how it intends to manage the vaccination program.
The DA leader said:
No more double words and turns. We will need to know, in detail, where our vaccine shipments come from, how many doses there will be in each shipment and when they will arrive. All of this will have to be added to the figures the government has been releasing.
The district attorney wants to know exactly what will happen when the vaccines reach the shores of South Africa, how they will be stored and distributed, who will receive them first and how they will be communicated.
“We are now heading towards the end of January, and none of this has been made public. If the president does not provide a complete plan that covers all amounts and timelines, we will have no choice but to ask the courts to force him to do so.
READ | African Union secures 270 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine for Africa – Ramaphosa
“Our attorneys have already written to the president, exposing the extent to which the government’s strategy does not meet the constitutional requirements for a comprehensive vaccine implementation program, as it violates both Section 27 of the Constitution and Section 11 of the Declaration. Rights., “he said.
OPINION | When people distrust the pharmaceutical industry, it must be enforced, turning dystopian superstitions into self-fulfilling prophecies. The vaccine for this is something deeper than science, he writes. @SiyaTheWriterhttps://t.co/viahUyVKIs
– News24 (@ News24) January 18, 2021
This comes after the government was widely criticized for failing to meet two payment deadlines to join the tail of the Covax initiative.
ANC alliance partners and party leaders also criticized the government for not prioritizing bilateral agreements to ensure timely access to vaccines.
News24 previously reported that the Solidarity Fund was expected to step in to make the payment of R300 million or 15% of planned spending.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Zweli Mkhize have tried to allay concerns that inefficiency and delays by government officials may have put the country on the defensive in procuring Covid-19 vaccines. | @Qaanitahunter https://t.co/hUU9YR5025
– News24 (@ News24) January 16, 2021
Speaking to News24 last week, Ramaphosa and Health Minister Zweli Mkhize tried to allay concerns that inefficiency and delays by government officials may have put the country at a disadvantage when it comes to procuring Covid-19 vaccines. .
‘Dishonest turn’
Ramaphosa announced last week that the government had secured 20 million doses of the vaccines for this year, so far, and that more talks were underway.
However, the DA leader has punched holes in the 20 million mark announced by the president, saying that a few days after making that bold statement, Ramaphosa spoke of 270 million doses secured for Africa through an AU program. But he did not say “what are the vaccines, how many will we get and by when”.
“Previously, we were informed of 1.5 million doses ordered through the Serum Institute of India, two-thirds of which are supposedly still to be delivered this month. But none of these numbers add up. In fact, it seems most are little more. than illusions and dishonest twist, “Steenhuisen said.
African governments must take urgent action to prepare for the distribution of coronavirus vaccines, the continent’s health watchdog said on Thursday, after the African Union announced it had obtained 270 million doses. t.co/WzEkPXm4a1
– News24 (@ News24) January 14, 2021
The president has also relied on Johnson & Johnson, which has manufacturing plants in the country, for supplies in the second quarter of 2021.
He adds that he wants a breakdown of the government budget for both the procurement and the deployment of the vaccines, covering public funds, private funds, donor funds and loans.
“The president’s response should provide the full implementation and administration program, which should include all types of vaccines, [the] number of doses required, the dates they will be available, and how they will be stored and transported. If the president provides satisfactory answers to all the questions posed in the letter, we will work with him to ensure that the program has the best chance of success.
“But if you do not respond or if your responses are lacking in detail or are evasive, we will take further legal action, as is our constitutional duty. The government knows what it is like to be on the wrong side of such a legal challenge. Two decades ago they were forced to do so. to provide and then comply with an antiretroviral deployment plan for their HIV program after they also initially refused to release the details. We will not hesitate to take that path again. “
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