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SA, the country most affected in Africa by Covid-19, did not meet the December 15 deadline to make a deposit to ensure vaccines to combat the pathogen and has not provided a guarantee to make full payment.
Payment to the Covax program will be made in the coming days, according to Tandi Nzimande, CEO of the Solidarity Fund, a philanthropic organization backed by some of the wealthiest people and largest companies in SA.
The fund promised to make the deposit of R327m, which represents 15% of the R2.2bn that will finally have to be paid, after the government did not do so.
The health department said on December 4 that the country was on track to sign the agreement and make the first payment by December 15, in line with the agreed deadlines.
The Solidarity Fund will make the payment as soon as it gets the go-ahead from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (Gavi), which runs Covax, Nzimande said by phone Thursday.
The money, accompanied by a guarantee that the outstanding amount will be paid, would guarantee enough vaccines to supply 10% of South Africa’s population of some 60 million people.
That guarantee has not yet materialized.
“This is a work in progress,” the Treasury said in an email response to questions on Dec. 15. “Details will be available once the work is completed.”
SA has registered nearly 900,000 Covid-19 cases and 23,661 deaths, while the economy has been devastated by measures to curb its spread.
Bloomberg
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