Media Release by Wayne Thring MP, ACDP Deputy President
In light of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation on 1 February 2021, the African Christian Democratic Party wishes to respond as follows:
We welcome the announcement that vaccines will not be mandatory. This has always been the position of the ACDP. We have consistently called for Covid-19 vaccines to be safe and voluntary, the contents of which must be made known to any South African who may wish to take them. We will not deviate from this position. Mr. Ramaphosa also mentioned that there will be no travel and other restrictions that will be placed on those who do not take the vaccine.
This, however, contradicts Prof Salim Abdool Karim who is on record for having said that in this year, 2021, restrictions on movement will be put in place.
Does Prof Karim know more than the President of South Africa?
The ACDP also welcomes the lifting of the discriminatory restrictions on the religious sector. These restrictions saw the doors of churches across the country closed, while casinos, restaurants, malls, taxis, and airlines operated with limited to no restrictions. In this regard, the ACDP supported the court application by FORSA to force the hand of government to reopen church doors, whilst maintaining health and hygiene protocols. It can never be acceptable that government adopts a punitive and hypocritical stance against the religious sector when compared to other sectors.
Sadly, the President failed to clarify regulations on toddlers wearing face masks. This must be made very clear as toddlers, in particular, are still in their physiological development stage, requiring sufficient oxygen for brain and neurological development, not to mention the possibility of bacterial pneumonia in infants.
The ACDP has noticed that while the President has said that government will not place any restrictions on travel for those who do not take the vaccine, the CEO of Quantus Airlines, has said that their airline will, in the future, look at prohibiting passengers who have not received the Covid-19 vaccine, from flying. Additionally, the Israeli Health Ministry Director has also said that the Israeli government will not force citizens to take the vaccine, but Amazon will. Airlines will. Banks will. He further went on to say that “citizens won’t be able to buy, sell or trade without the vaccine.”
The ACDP demands to know whether these restrictions from the private sector will also apply to South Africans and whether the President of South Africa is only telling us a half-truth.
