By Hajira Khota                                                                                                                                                            02.10.2021           

President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed claims that the African National Congress (ANC) is using the government’s vaccination programme to campaign for elections.

With South Africans voting in less than a month, Ramaphosa stated that the move to lower COVID-19 standards to level 1 was based only on scientific evidence and not to appease any political figure.

The government’s vaccination drive, according to Ramaphosa, is not for political gain. He says that the goal of the program is to get as many South Africans as possible to acquire the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year.

The president acknowledged that the easing of restrictions did not please everyone. He claimed that the only way the country’s limits could be eased further was if the majority of people were vaccinated.

As part of the government’s Vooma Vaccination drive, Ramaphosa, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, and Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina visited Kathlehong in the East Rand. This weekend, the government intends to vaccinate 500 000 individuals.

Yesterday, Ramaphosa conducted the first Vooma Vaccination Weekend. He says that the campaign’s goal is to get the general public to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The immunisation campaign brings together the public and private health sectors, organised labor, business, the community, and faith-based organisations.

According to Ramaphosa, the eight million South Africans who have been properly vaccinated to date are insufficient to prevent infections.