Thursday, 28 March, 2024
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Solidarity warns against using vaccine rollout for BEE

Trade union Solidarity says it will send an urgent letter to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Coronavirus Command Council about the South African government’s plans to promote black empowerment in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. According to a report in The Citizen, this after President Cyril Ramaphosa reportedly told the ANC’s top six officials and the Progressive Business Forum, that the rollout of vaccines in the country would provide an opportunity for black empowerment.

Anton van der Bijl, head of legal service at Solidarity, said that the union was against race being part of the country’s COVID-19 vaccination programme. He said the involvement of black businesses should be because they were going to help in an efficient way, and not because they were black.

“There’s no time for politics at this point in time. The first and the most important thing must be ensuring that everyone, to the extent that the state can, has a vaccine. To look at some point of agenda at this time would not be prudent and not in the best interest of South Africa and its citizens,” van der Bijl said.

Solidarity said the WHO had a duty to advise the South African government on how to use the most efficient methods during a pandemic.

 

[link url="https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/2430792/solidarity-to-petition-who-over-alleged-plans-to-prioritise-black-business-in-vaccine-roll-out/"]Full report in The Citizen (Open access)[/link]

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