Vaccine secrecy scorned

DISTRIBUTION: OPPOSITION PARTIES CLAIM ROLL-OUT ‘NOT TRANSPARENT’

Concern process will be marred by corruption and nepotism.

Opposition political parties have expressed concern about what they claim is the secrecy surrounding the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out.

Although trade union Nehawu welcomed the easing of the adjusted Level 3 regulations as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday night, it was concerned about members who are demoralised due to nonpayment of their salary increases since April last year.

Both the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Congress of the People (Cope) lambasted the shroud of secrecy surrounding vaccine distribution by the government.

The EFF said, as happened in the past, the provincial governments misappropriated funds meant for personal protective equipment (PPE) and expansion of the healthcare system. The party said if distribution was given to them, the process would be marred by corruption and nepotism.

“Under provincial governments, the vaccine will be misallocated and distributed to friends and relatives of politicians at the expense of healthcare workers,” said the EFF.

The party said the vaccine should not only be given to South Africans but it should also be offered to foreign nationals in the country. The EFF welcomed the relaxation of some regulations, including the reduction of the curfew hours, but opposed the lifting of the alcohol ban.

“The virus is still among us and South Africa should not rule out a possibility of a third and even a fourth wave of the virus…. the reopening of the alcohol distribution and sale is reckless” said the EFF.

Cope spokesman Dennis Bloem said the entire vaccination roll-out was without any transparency and the party was disappointed Ramaphosa had not consulted opposition parties, but only discussed the roll-out with the ANC.

“We suspect that the veil of secrecy around the vaccines rollout is because the hyenas want nobody near these millions of rands. We don’t have any doubt that we will see and hear about fly-by-night companies being registered by comrades’ relatives and children of senior politicians

to win lucrative contracts to distribute the vaccines,” Bloem said.

Bloem said corruption in the country would only end once Ramaphosa and his ANC comrades stopped protecting each other but to “send all these hyenas to jail”.

He said Cope expected nothing less from Ramaphosa’s speech other than a report-back on progress of investigations into the Covid-19 PPE corruption and how many “heartless thieves” were arrested.

“We needed to know how many are charged and have appeared in court for the theft of millions of rands of PPE money, but he said absolutely nothing. It appears as if it is business as usual for President Ramaphosa,” Bloem said.

Nehawu’s general secretary

Zola Saphetha said they hoped with the lifting of the ban on alcohol sales, people would drink responsibly to lessen the strain on the healthcare system.

“The easing down of restrictions and the securing of vaccines does not mean we must let our guards down. All hands must be on deck to stop new infections,” said Nehawu in a statement.

Saphetha said despite the dropping of infection rates, health workers continued to suffer from low morale due to the nonpayment of their salary increases due since last April. He said the department of health also dragged its feet to implement a danger allowance or a moral incentive.

“These are workers who have gone beyond the call of duty, even when faced with understaffing, lack of psychosocial services, exhaustion and life-threatening situations,” Saphetha said.

SA should not rule out a third and fourth wave of the virus