The Shosholoza Progressive Party (Shosh), formed in 2015, is calling for South Africans to defend their right to choose by refusing mandatory vaccination and vaccine passports, reports the Sunday Independent. Shosh is also promising those who join the party that they stand a chance to win R100,000 at the end-of-year lucky draw.
Shosh national spokesperson David Sibeko Jr said they were against mandatory vaccinations, based on scientific evidence.
“We are not anti-vaxx and we are not pro-vaxx but we are proudly pro-choice. Our decision is based on scientific evidence. COVID-19 is no deadlier than the ordinary flu that kills about 12,000 during the flu season (which lasts three months) in South Africa. The COVID-19 recovery rate is more than 98% and millions of people have contracted the virus and recovered.
“Immunology teaches us that once you recover from an infection, you have developed immunity against that infection, and therefore, we do not see the imperative to vaccinate people who have recovered.
“However, we respect their choice to vaccinate if they wish, and our government must also respect the choice of those who do not wish to vaccinate. Only the vulnerable should be vaccinated and this will save us billions of rands.”
Sibeko said the “powers that be have used this pandemic to diminish our rights, e.g. the freedom of assembly, the freedom to worship in our churches, the freedom of movement, the freedom of association, the freedom of speech, and now the freedom of choice is under threat”.
He added that “the vulnerable poor black majority who lack information” were being manipulated. “There is no evidence that unvaccinated people can infect vaccinated people,” he said.
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