Covid jab contracts to be made public
The government has been ordered to provide access to its Covid-19 vaccine procurement contracts.
Thursday's judgment by the High Court in Pretoria has been welcomed by the Health Justice Initiative.
It instituted legal action against the Minister of Health.
The institute's director Fatima Hassan says the court ordered that all the covid vaccine contracts must be made public within 10 days.
She says it also sets an important precedent, especially as the government contemplates the National Health Insurance Scheme.
"This is a massive victory for transparency and accountability in South Africa because we cannot have a healthcare system shrouded in secrecy.
"The contract concerns significant public funds and the contract in the process has been marred by allegations that the government procured at different and inflated prices and that the agreements may contain onerous and inequitable terms, including broad indemnification clauses, export restricts and none refundability clauses."
