We are facing a demon to be confronted
THE decision by the US administration to abruptly halt its funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) must be condemned with the contempt it deserves.
Donald Trump has been on a rampage, criticising all the multilateral organisations that he disagrees with on one issue or another.
Since he took office as the President of the US, Trump’s first salvo was targeted at the UN and Nato, questioning their credibility and standing in resolving the world peace and order.
Trump openly criticised Nato in a summit on December 3, 2019, in London and called it a drain on the US ficus. According to the former Nato ambassador, Nicholas Burns, Trump has failed in all tenets of being “patient, tactful, willing to listen, deep knowledge and having an understanding of issues and self-discipline to refrain from fiery public debates”.
He has now deflected that vitriolic attitude to the WHO under the leadership of director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus citing that it “has failed in its administrative duties of dealing with Covid-19.”
He also cites that the WHO didn’t have the insight on how China is dealing with the pandemic alleging China’s draconian laws and lack of transparency prevent the WHO to know how far deep is the ravage and impact of the pandemic.
The US is the biggest funder to the
WHO, with an amount of more than $400 million R7.52 billion). As UN member states, we must stand together and condemn the US for its bullying and self righteousness. As UN member states, we must refuse to be sidetracked by the US Administration on the task at hand to dealing with the pandemic.
It’s now an opportune time to ensure that the throwing of toys by president Trump when he deflect from confronting his glaring failures and ineptness cannot be tolerated any further. The US administration’s failure in dealing and containing the coronavirus spread in the US, which has now exceeded more than 579 000 infected and more than 22 000 deaths and still counting, must be put squarely at the door of Trump.
The world leaders, including our president, Cyril Ramaphosa, must not be distracted by side issues.
The WHO needs to be supported more than ever before as it deals with the current pandemic that has engulfed the entire world. We are facing a demon that must be confronted with all the ammunition and the resources we have in order to save mankind and the world from apocalypse.
MAFIKA SIPHIWE MGCINA | ANC Regional Task Team Sedibeng in his personal capacity