Legal threat to government’s slow vaccine roll-out
STRATEGY: Health Min. Zweli Mkhize
As opposition parties and organised labour continue to slam the national government over its slow strategy to secure and roll-out a Covid-19 vaccine, the Freedom Party has threatened to drag the state to court to advocate for its preferred drug.
The NFP is pushing for the government to procure the Ivermectin vaccine and roll it out to citizens during the waiting period for a vaccine.
On Sunday, Health Minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize indicated that SA had already procured Covax which would arrive “perhaps by February” and vaccinate around 10% of the population.
Mkhize pointed out that a financing strategy was also being devised with the private sector and more vaccines were being negotiated with other manufacturers as the government plans to immunise a total of 67% of the population by the end of the year to build herd immunity.
But NFP MP Ahmed Munzoor Shaik-Emam said the party was prepared to wage a legal battle over Invermectin.
“Many people are dying and infections are averaging around 17 000 now. By the time this vaccine (Covax) comes, many people will be dead. If there is proof around the world that this drug is working, we don’t understand why we are not using it,” Shaik-Emam said.
The party pointed out that the Covax vaccine was expensive and that it had not yet been approved by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra).
And although the antiparasitic Invermectin drug is illegal in SA as it has not been approved by Sahpra, the NFP insists on an audience with Mkhize and the immediate testing of the drug by the Sahpra.
“Should we not receive a favourable response from you by close of business on Wednesday, 6 January, we hold instructions to approach the High Court of SA for urgent relief,” the party’s lawyer Prabashni Subrayan Naidoo said.
The push by the NFP comes as Cosatu and Nehawu joined political parties in slamming Mkhize over his Covid-19 vaccine rollout strategy.
Cosatu national spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said Mkhize made vague commitments.
“This is hiding the fact that there are 40 countries that have already begun immunising their people, some since December, and some are South Africa’s peers in the middle-income bracket.”