Tannie Evita Bezuidenhout, the ambassador of the fictional republic of Bapetikosweti, has received her COVID-19 vaccine at Wesbank in Malmesbury in the Western Cape.
Tannie Evita, the fictional ambassadorial character created by satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys, says she has been encouraged by her grandson not to be a coward and live by example by taking the vaccine.
In a lighter vein, she has dismissed rumours that if she takes the vaccination she would turn into a man.
Tannie Evita, who is 85, has encouraged others to register and be vaccinated. She did not take questions from the media saying she has just received an urgent call from the Pan African Parliament.
119-year-old registers for vaccine
The Eastern Cape Health Department is satisfied with the progression of registration for phase two of the COVID-19 vaccination programme. By Thursday, close to 325 000 elderly citizens registered for inoculation. The oldest is 119-year-old Nomamelika Piliso in the Alfred Nzo District.
The department says the numbers could have been higher, but the process was disrupted by last week’s violent protests, particularly in Nelson Mandela Bay.
The province aims to vaccinate at least 700 000 people during the second phase.
