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ActionSA notes and applauds President Cyril Ramaphosa for not imposing further draconian restrictions on South Africans and our already battered economy. We further note that, in his remarks when he addressed the nation last night, the President indicated the start of “conversations” about possibly mandating vaccination.

We encourage Ramaphosa to invest heavily on public health education on the safety, efficacy, and benefits of vaccination. It is a proven scientific fact that people who are vaccinated are at reduced risk of serious illness in the event they contract the coronavirus. 

Whilst vaccine hesitancy is a real challenge, there are actors who are very invested in spreading misinformation about vaccination. Ensuring that South Africans are adequately educated would empower them to make an informed choice for themselves and their loved ones. 

The impact of the trust deficit between South Africans and government cannot be ignored. People simply do not trust Ramaphosa and his government. For far too long, South Africans have not been provided a clear plan for how the government will turn around our failing vaccine roll-out program. Vaccines were not procured on time. When they were procured, access was restricted against the sound advice of our world-class scientists. 

Since the pandemic began, the President has failed to provide sound leadership, instead choosing to pander to the various factions in his governing ANC. He has allowed corruption to thrive under his watch, so much so that he has yet to make public the findings of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report on Former Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize. Whilst he may have been relieved of his duties, South Africans deserve to know the extent of his involvement in the allegedly corrupt contract awarded by his former department to Digital Vibes. 

It is this trust deficit, owing to the President’s own unforced errors, that have played a big role in many South Africans choosing to forego vaccination, thus prolonging the pandemic. 

It is a shame that some of our international partners have chosen to take harsh and unwarranted actions against South Africa because our world-class scientists did the responsible thing in revealing their discovery of the latest strain. 

These bans are wrong in every way, especially considering that some of these countries have hoarded vaccines for months. The bans are short-sighted and we encourage Ramaphosa to engage these partners, with a view to having these bans lifted at the earliest opportunity. The President must not allow South Africa to be made a pariah when a discovery such as the one made by our scientists would have made any other developed country a shining beacon of excellence. 

It is in our shared interests to ensure that more people of the world are vaccinated. The sooner that can be achieved, the sooner the world at large can return to a semblance of normality.

Issued by ActionSA President Herman Mashaba