Three months ago Botswana was highly praises as His Excellency the President Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi told CNN that Botswana has secured enough COVID-19 vaccines for the entire adult population.
In his interview with Zain Asher in the beginning of May, the President announced that his government has secured vaccines from different suppliers across the world. He also made an assurance that the public healthcare system has been sufficiently capacitated to fight the pandemic.
In the surge of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19), sponsored by the Delta variant third wave, it has been revealed that Botswana’s healthcare system is overwhelmed. While there are over seventeen thousand (17 000) active cases, everyday an average of thirty (30) people succumb to the virus. This is on the backdrop of the reports that hospital beds are filled to the brim countrywide. However, at least three hundred (300) people test positive for COVID-19 everyday.
According to the statistics by the COVID-19 Presidential Task Force roughly one hundred and twenty thousand people are fully vaccinated, with about two hundred thousand (200 000) having received only the first jab.
Dithapelo Keorapetse, the member of parliament for Selibe-Phikwe West has condemned the President for intentionally lying on CNN interview regarding securing COVID-19 vaccines. He also accused the President of soiling multilateral relations by accusing COVAX facility of trickery. The Phikwe West legislator says it was also wrong for the President to accuse the countries which manufacture the vaccines (like America) of refusing to sell to other states.
“President Masisi claimed on CNN that Botswana will be the first Country in Africa to vaccinate ts entire Population by the end of the year when he knew very well that he was lying. He always knew that his government had not ordered adequate vaccines to cover even 20% of the population. The President further sought to project COVAX Facility as a fraudulent entity. The President knew very well that his government made a commitment to procure vaccines worth 5% of the population instead of allowable 20%, under the Self Funding Program. His government paid for 2.5% instead of the 5% they committed or 20% permissible. Despite the lies peddled by the President that COVAX is trickery, it has initially delivered 70% of the 2.5% BW has paid for, or 82 390 vaccines from a total of 120 000. We can’t let the President soil multilateral diplomatic relations with untruths to hide his incompetence.” Keorapetse charged as he commented on the SKI Khama Foundation vaccine securing issue.
