By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa says that the country’s slow start to its Covid-19 vaccine rollout is the result of several factors outside of the country’s hands.
Answering oral questions in parliament on Thursday (6 May), the president said that the country stored ‘a lot of reliance’ on Johnson & Johnson as the pharmaceutical company manufactures vaccines in South Africa.
“The mishaps we have suffered have been completely out of our hands. The death of six people in the United States brought our own authority to stop the vaccination process, (which) was completely unforeseen.”
Ramaphosa said that some opponents have criticised the government for not moving ahead with its vaccinations, but the president said that the government has continued to rely on scientific advisors in this regard.
“It was due to that delay that emanated from the United States that our experts felt we should stop and pause. We knew we were not pausing for a long time.
“But just as our own delivery was meant to come through, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States identified a flaw in one of the facilities that is a partner to Johnson & Johnson.”
This also stopped the delivery of vaccines from the Aspen facility in South Africa, Ramaphosa said.
“We’ve lost time on the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, we know that. Of course we care, that’s what we’ve been doing since this pandemic started.”
Ramaphosa confirmed that the government has now finalised the contract for sufficient doses to vaccinate 41.5 million people.
In Q2 2021, three million vaccines are set to arrive from Johnson & Johnson, 4.5 million from Pfizer and an additional 1.5 million Pfizer doses through the Covax initiative.
The plan is in place. The centres are in place. The people have been trained. The transportation is in place to transfer these Covid vaccine doses at the correct temperature. The medical aid schemes are supporting this process.
“When it comes to securing the health of our people by securing vaccines, the South African government is going to pull out all stops. If it’s necessary for the Finance Minister to come forward to for a supplementary budget, we’ll do that.”
As of Wednesday (5 May), the total number of vaccines administered in South Africa is 353,181.
There have been 2,073 new Covid-19 cases reported, taking the total reported to 1,588,221. Total deaths have reached 54,557, while recoveries have climbed to 1,510,385, leaving the country with a balance of 23,279 active cases.
Ramaphosa said the National Coronavirus Command Council will meet soon to discuss whether to impose a travel ban on people coming from India.
“The variant that is experienced in India is most worrying because it is engulfing the entire country. We are watching that and we are not only watching this we are taking steps. The NCCC was meant to meet yesterday, but it is meeting when we have all the information,” said Ramaphosa.
“We are concerned but we are concerned for the Indians and we are pledging our solidarity with them. We will be assisting them with ventilators and PPE. We are doing this because it is the right thing to do,” said Ramaphosa.
He added scientists in South Africa will continue to look at the variant in India.
Ramaphosa has also hit back at DA leader John Steenhuisen, who accused him of being caught up in ANC factional battles, while the country was facing challenges.
He told Steenhuisen that what happens in the ANC was none of his business, as the DA was also having its own factional battles.
He said the ANC never speaks out when the DA is involved in factional fights.
This comes after the ANC suspended its secretary general Ace Magashule on Wednesday, after he refused to step aside. Magashule attempted to fight back on Wednesday night, claiming he had unsuspended himself and that he was suspending the president in his capacity as party president, citing the CR17 campaign as the reason for the suspension.