Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has disputed claims by the Democratic Alliance (DA) that the government has missed the deadline to pay R500 million to the WHO COVAX global COVID-19 vaccination distribution scheme.
Mboweni says the deadline is 15 December and that the Solidarity Fund is ready to make payment.
Yesterday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country has officially joined the COVAX facility.
“We are participating in the World Health Organisation’s COVID-19 Global Vaccine Access Facility, known as COVAX Facility, which aims to pool resources and share vaccine development risk, and thus ensure equitable access to vaccines when they become available.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the nation:
South Africa has committed R327 million as an initial payment towards the purchase of doses of a vaccine once it becomes available. Mboweni was speaking at the end of the debate in parliament on the adoption of the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement.
“The fact of the matter is that we have sufficient time until plus, minus 15th December to do the payment. So, we have not missed the deadline at all and the solidarity fund stands ready to pay the R500 million that has been promised. So, we have not missed the deadline at all.”
