Pressure continues to mount on government to lift lockdown restrictions and provide a clear timetable of the vaccines rollout programme.
On Friday, the DA returned to the High Court in Cape Town to seek an urgent declaratory order that the government’s conduct in procuring vaccines, as well as its preparation for its roll-out is in violation of several constitutional principles.
The DA government in the Western Cape, which is reeling under the jobs bloodbath in its agriculture, tourism and leisure industries, wants the court to compel government to provide a detailed COVID-19 vaccination plan and to deliver that plan no later than one month of the court order.
Party leader, John Steenhuisen, elaborates, “We believe that having a clear and transparent plan is absolutely critical to ensure that as opposition parties, as the media and civil society we are able to hold government accountable to their undertakings. We believe that we need to know a number of things; where we are procuring vaccines from, where are they going to come from and the plan as to how we are going to vaccinate 40 million people.”
They also want an end to lockdown restrictions.
DA takes government to court over conduct in procuring COVID-19 vaccines:
Close to half a million jobs in the value chain of the alcohol industry, and in restaurants have already been lost. Some farms and restaurants have closed indefinitely, while others are on the brink of collapse.
The DA believes the worst is yet to come if the restrictions are not immediately lifted and the vaccines are not being rolled-out.
Steenhuisen says the government’s failure to heed to the party’s numerous pleas for it to rescue businesses and ensure the people get vaccines, forced them to approach the court.
The government is adamant that the jabs will be available by Monday.
