Religious groups have launched a campaign called #VaxuMzansi Campaign in an effort to vaccinate up to 70% of their congregations against Covid-19.
Coming together as the Religious Forum Against Covid-19 (RFA), the campaign involves an interfaith collaboration of various religious communities.
At the same time, the RFA wants to debunk conspiracy theories about the vaccines in order to provide assurance and increase vaccine uptake.
The group includes: the Muslim Judicial Council, the South African Hindu Maha Sabha, the Union of Orthodox Synagogues; the SA Council of Churches, the Evangelical Alliance of South Africa and the Council of African Independent Churches.
In a joint statement, the RFA said that among the activities they would promote were the continuous sharing of Covid-19 and vaccine information with their congregations and communities.
They would also co-ordinate vaccine drives and assist in closing the vaccine access gap among members of their congregations.
Meanwhile, following the recent directive issued by the Department of Employment and Labour permitting employers to implement a mandatory vaccination policy, the Dear South Africa (Dear SA) campaign has commissioned law firm Hurter Spies to provide a legal opinion on the constitutionality of the move.
Spies said that while opinions vary, there was a consensus that some form of balance had to be achieved when weighing up an employer’s obligation to provide a safe and secure working environment, along with an individual’s rights as enshrined in the Constitution.
Dear SA managing director Rob Hutchinson has invited the public to comment on, object to, or support mandatory vaccinations and vaccine passports in a poll on the Dear SA website.
“This is an opportunity for you to immediately influence this decision before it becomes law,” said Hutchinson.
Cape Argus