Steenhuisen: Ramaphosa dropped the ball with vaccine procurement
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen hasn’t held back on his criticism of government’s plans to procure a Covid-19 vaccine.
The country woke up level 3 of the lockdown on Tuesday after President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Monday evening.
In his address, Ramaphosa rebuked the nation for indulging in social behaviour that jeopardised the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under level 3, the booze ban returned, beaches were closed a longer curfew was imposed.
But Steenhuisen believes government’s new regulations are misdirected.
“Lockdowns and bans are not a sustainable solution. They may offer extremely short-term efficacy, but they do very deep and long-lasting damage to the economy and to the livelihoods of our citizens. Poverty is the biggest killer in our country and government has to have more in its arsenal than just shutdowns and bans.
“During the lockdown, Ramaphosa also assured South Africans that the country is still in the running for the COVAX vaccine.
READ: Level 3: Criminal offence if caught without a mask in public
“But he revealed that the vaccine would only now be available after March, a slight change in tune.”
Steenhuisen accused Ramaphosa of dropping the ball.
“A vaccine is now the only solution, and the only alternative to lockdown which is no longer a viable or sustainable means to curb the spread of the virus in our country.
“This indecision and dithering only proves that government has dropped the ball completely on a vaccine that should have been rolled out weeks ago.
“We are losing the fight to protect both lives and livelihoods. Instead of our people and their jobs surviving this pandemic, neither will emerge from it. There can be nothing more devastating for our country,” Steenhuisen added.
