Mkhize: Reports that MAC was disbanded 'a lie'
Updated | By Jacaranda fm
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says reports that he has disbanded the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) "could not be further from the truth”.

In a statement released on Monday evening, Mkhize said the MAC has merely been strengthened in line with new developments in South Africa’s fight against COVID-19.
“The notion that the minister ‘disbanded’ the MAC because he does not want to heed its advice is furthest from the truth.
“The fact is that the Minister accepted and implemented almost all (more than 95%) of the advisories from the MAC on COVID-19 and, in the interest of transparency, published the advisories digitally despite there being no legal obligation to do so,” said Mkhize.
Three separate MACs were established to guide government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Mkhize believes it is time for a new approach.
“We have now confirmed, both with the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) and World Health Organisation Surge Team reports, that we are now past the surge and that our epidiomelogical curve has demonstrated a plateau for several weeks.”
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“It therefore became necessary to strengthen the MAC on COVID-19 so that it falls in line with its mandate to advise on effective mechanisms for the prevention of onward transmission of COVID-19."
The new MAC on Covid-19 will consist of bio-medical practitioners, clinical experts, specialists in ethics, the nursing profession, social scientists, researchers and community leaders.
“The strengthened MAC will retain many of the experts from the original clinical-biomedical MAC, including the incumbent chair Prof Abdool-Karim, Prof Marc Mendelson, Prof Sthembiso Mkhize, Prof Rudo Mathivha and Prof Nombulelo Magula, amongst others," said Mkhize.
“It is important that we remain relevant as we endeavour to bring on board and educate communities on averting the risk of a second wave. This requires experts who are well versed in human behaviour."

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