DURBAN - ORGANISED business in KwaZulu-Natal has come out in support of the government’s proposal to begin discussions on mandatory Covid-19 vaccination, saying the move was necessary to revive the country’s battered economy.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday said that the government was exploring the idea of making Covid-19 vaccination compulsory. He said the government would set up a task team that would undertake broad consultations on making vaccination mandatory for specific activities and locations.
Deputy Health Minister Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo told the National Council of Provinces during question time yesterday that mandatory vaccination had been put into focus due to vaccine hesitancy, adding that a number of people had not come forward to get the jab.
Business experts said despite concerns from some quarters that such a move could be a violation of individual rights, the government had the responsibility to act for the greater good.
Palesa Phili, chief executive of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC, said the chamber was committed to playing a role in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We believe we need to take every step possible to ensure economic recovery. Businesses need to provide a work environment that is healthy and safe for their employees. This can be achieved by encouraging employees to get vaccinated.
“As an organised business, we are committed to assisting as many businesses as possible to get their employees vaccinated. We anticipate having discussions around mandatory vaccinations. We believe it is critical for the government to work together with the private sector to ensure proposals and recommendations are transparent and well understood,” she said.
Melanie Veness of the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business (PMCB) said they would welcome a decision from the government in relation to mandatory vaccinations and the possible introduction of vaccine passports. “While our Constitution ensures us many freedoms and we respect people’s right to choose not to vaccinate, there is no doubt that it is in our collective interest, in society’s interest, to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible, so that business owners can better protect their people and customers, and our economy can start to function properly,” she said.
Economist Professor Bonke Dumisa said the economy could turn a positive corner if vaccination was mandatory.
“People who do not want to vaccinate, it is their right, but they must not think that they have the right to go and expose others,” he said.
The view was shared by Professor Irrshad Kaseeram, deputy dean of research at the University of Zululand’s economics department, who said unless most people were vaccinated, there was a greater risk that businesses would continue to be affected and the economy would be impacted for years to come.
“While it might offend others, it is necessary to serve the greater good which is to protect the public and ensure the country does not have to resort to measures such as lockdowns,” he said.
He said with the greater population being vaccinated, normal activity like conferences could resume.
“The objective here is to return the country to normality.”
THE MERCURY