WITH our history of pass laws, which were used to dehumanise sections of the population, I understand some of the resistance to the government's plan to introduce a “vaccine passport”.
People do not want to have to produce a document to show they can enter a venue, arguing that this would infringe on their civil liberties, and some protests were planned for today against the move, announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday.
However, I also understand the need for a passport.
South Africa has paid a huge price in lives and jobs because of the virus, and continues to do so.
While there has been a huge, welcome drop in infection numbers, the threat of a fourth wave of infections looms. One of our best defences is to vaccinate as many people as possible; people who would then be able to show that they have taken the jab.
This would allow, for example, the hospitality industry, particularly hard-hit by the lockdowns, to open at full capacity ‒ to those producing a passport ‒ instead of keeping half its tables empty.
I would be much more willing, happy and comfortable to eat out once again if I knew that every other person in the restaurant ‒ staff and patrons ‒ was also vaccinated.
Surely a move to get people back to work, or to full salaries, should be welcomed, even at the expense of producing your cellphone to display your passport? Similar to displaying your e-boarding pass at the airport.
I wonder if opposition to the vaccines is masquerading as opposition to the passport.
The Independent on Saturday