… Phikwe West MP, Dithapelo Keorapetse
The efforts of and information that SKI Foundation has provided on vaccines should be appreciated and followed up swiftly if government is serious about saving lives. What’s wrong with SKI Khama Foundation finding vaccines?
Two people, including a senior BDP Member, told me weeks ago that securing vaccines was possible if government allowed other players to assist. The involvement of former President shouldn’t cloud the regime’s judgement.
We need vaccines now, people are dying! Government has failed to buy enough vaccines to achieve head immunity, medical oxygen, ventilators, high care and other beds, train staff etc during the SoE. Where did the billions go?
President Masisi claimed on CNN that Botswana will be the first Country in Africa to vaccinate ts entire Population by the end of the year when he knew vry well that he was lying. He always that his government had not ordered adequate vaccines to cover even 20% of the population.
The President further sought to project COVAX Facility as a fraudulent entity. The President knew very well that his government made a commitment to procure vaccines worth 5% of the population instead of allowable 20%, under the Self Funding Program.
His government paid for 2.5% instead of the 5% they committed or 20% permissible. Despite the lies peddled by the President that COVAX is trickery, it has initially delivered 70% of the 2.5% BW has paid for, or 82 390 vaccines from a total of 120 000.
We can’t let the President soil multilateral diplomatic relations with untruths to hide his incompetence.
The President claimed that the US is hoarding vaccines, saying so publicly without regard to diplomatic relations. He failed dismally to explain how South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, eSwatini and Zimbabwe, who are our neighbors, getting vaccines from the USA to cover up to 67% of their populations by December 2021 and we are left behind.
South Africa is expecting to have received 31 million doses of Pfizer and J&J by September 2021 from USA. Zimbabwe has procured and paid for 12 million doses plus additional vaccines from COVAX. eSwatini has received additional 330 000 of J&J from the USA to cover 30% of the population. In BW we are fed lies.
The USA has pledged a total of 1 billion vaccines to be distributed for free to poor and developing countries. The same USA which is accused of hoarding vaccines by Rre Masisi has given Africa 25 million doses free vaccines and some countries Eg Zambia, Lesotho, eSwatini have benefited from the arrangement.
What have we achieved during the State of Emergency besides deaths, increased levels of corruption and unprepared health care system? Vaccine deals were closed by many countries last year. How can we commit to 5% and pay for 2.5% when we had opportunity to commit and pay for 20% (480 000) doses?
We’ve been further lied to that government has paid for 200 000 doses of Sinovac from China and consequently got a donation of a further 200 000. We only got a donation and didn’t pay for 200 000, according to the unicef dashboard on COVID-19.
We are where we are because of incompetence, haphazardness, corruption and lies. Enough!