DA calls on Treasury to take immediate steps to rectify missed Covid vaccine payment

3 December 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on National Treasury to seek immediate solutions to ensure that South Africa makes the necessary payment to participate in the COVAX vaccine initiative. The payment should be made this week.

It is a disgrace that the South African government has missed this deadline for a vaccine programme that could save lives and livelihoods. National Treasury should provide a full explanation of how this payment deadline was bungled.

This follows reports that South Africa missed the deadline for payment due to apparent convoluted procurement processes which meant that the Department of Health was unable to secure the vaccine for South Africans.

As the global race for access to a Covid -19 vaccine reached boiling point, countries including South Africa joined COVAX, a global vaccine access initiative designed to ensure equitable access to a vaccine, particularly for low-income countries. In light of the months of devastation and suffering that the virus and associated lockdown has caused, this was an opportunity to save further suffering which no country can afford to miss.

Countries have rightfully lined up for access to the vaccine. However, the South African government has inexplicably missed making the required first payment, making South Africa fall back in the queue of countries to access vaccines.

Government has no excuse. Availability of cash is not the issue, especially since government has seen fit to direct an additional R10.5 billion immoral bailout of SAA.

It must get its priorities right, and immediately make the COVAX payment so that our country can avoid needless loss of lives and livelihoods.

Issued by Geordin Hill-Lewis,DA Shadow Minister of Finance, 3 December 2020