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Government warned against vaccine corruption

While a number of countries have started rolling out a COVID-19 vaccine, South Africa may only start its campaign in April.

But legal experts and civil society groups are now warning government to make sure, that the vaccine rollout is not hampered by corruption.

Pule Letshwiti has this story.

A government delegation on Tuesday visited the site where the country's COVID-19 vaccines are being stored. The Biovac Institute in Midrand in Johannesburg is the country's main storage facility and crucial to the cold chain storage supply of the vaccine.
Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and TechnologyButi Manamela inspected the Biovac cold rooms today and he joined us for an update.

Our movement and behaviour this long weekend could determine whether a third wave of coronavirus infections, will be triggered. Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has urged South Africans, not to hang around after church services, or move around unless required in order to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. For more on this, our reporter Riante Naidoo joined us.

Government will no longer be the sole owner Of South African Airways.
Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan announced today government has sold a 51 percent stake of the airline to a new strategic partner, Takatso Consortium.
Government will hold onto 49 percent of the national air carrier.
Our Business Reporter Anelisa Tuswa has more on this.

Many people will continue to have candle lit dinners this winter and not in the romantic kind of way. And with no end in sight to blackouts President Cyril Ramaphosa appears to have heeded the call of many energy sector businesses.
Today, he relaxed power generation rules for companies wanting to produce their own electricity. Rianté Padayachee reports.

South Africa has been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic for well over a year now.
Today, government outlined its plans to speed up the vaccine rollout.
Acting Health Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu and a panel of expert spoke about how the plans to combat the spread of infections. Our reporter Riante Padayachee gave us an update on this story earlier today.

Civil society groups have expressed serious concerns about how people are being prioritised for vaccines. The health department issued a circular this week and it stated that special groups are being considered for the COVID-19 vaccines. Dr Nicholas Crisp who signed off on these circulars says they have a number of vaccine programs in place and that nobody will be denied a vaccine.

Healthcare activists have criticised government’s vaccine rollout saying it must be based on public health principles and equity. This follows a health department circular issued yesterday which stated that special groups are being considered for the COVID-19 vaccines - among them government officials. The circular has since been withdrawn following numerous complaints. It’s reportedly being re-drafted to provide more clarity.
Fatima Hassan from the Health Justice Initiative says the decision was not based on sound policy.

By December government hopes to achieve a herd immunity target of at least 40 million people. On the other hand the demand for vaccines has slowed down and men are trailing women in the numbers present for vaccination. The Western Cape, KZN and the Eastern Cape still remain the epicentre for the virus while Limpopo and the Eastern Cape are currently leading the vaccination campaign. For more on this we chatted to our reporter, Natalie Malgas.

Health Minister, Joe Phaahla, has urged all eligible voters to vaccinate
before casting their ballot in the November municipal polls. To prevent election and campaigning activities from becoming potential super-spreader events, government wants voters to get the jab. Our reporter, Natalie Malgas, has more.