DA leader John Steenhuisen has threatened President Cyril Ramaphosa with legal action if he does not reveal the origin of Covid-19 vaccines destined for South Africa.
Steenhuisen told the media on Monday his party’s lawyers had written to Ramaphosa, asking him to share with them efforts made by his government to secure the vaccines and the amount spent in securing them.
“Our lawyers have already written to the president setting out the extent to which the government's strategy does not meet the constitutional requirements for a comprehensive vaccine roll-out programme, in that it violates several constitutional provisions.
“The failure to provide one or more Covid-19 vaccines timeously when these vaccines are available is a violation of people’s rights, in terms of Section 27(1) of the Constitution, to have access to healthcare services.”
He said unconstitutionally, there was no rationality in the government’s failure to secure sufficient vaccines despite knowing early on how important they’d be.
“In our letter we asked the president to reply within seven days explaining why, in his view, the government has not infringed on these constitutional provisions.
“We have also asked him, for the sake of transparency, to set out the details of the government’s negotiations with vaccine suppliers.
“This reply must include the dates and the minutes of all the meetings with suppliers.
“We also need to see a breakdown of the government’s budget for both the acquisition and the roll-out of the vaccines, covering public funds, private funds, donor funds and loans.”
He said the president’s reply would have to provide the full roll-out and administration programme, which has to include all the vaccine types, the dates they will be available as well as how they will be stored and transported.
South Africa plans to start vaccinating health workers next month.