Opposition parties have pointed the finger at the government for the third wave of Covid-19 infections.
OPPOSITION parties have pointed the finger at the government for the third wave of Covid-19 infections.
On Sunday night and as the numbers continue to rise as a result of the more transmissible Delta variant, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country would move to adjusted level 4.
Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald said the ANC government must accept full responsibility for the latest wave of Covid-19 infections and the fact that the health care system was not ready for the pandemic even though it has had a year to prepare.
He said the aim of the first restrictions, imposed early last year, were to allow the health-care system time to prepare and erect field hospitals.
“Field hospitals that cost millions of rand to erect were not fully utilised during the first and second waves of infections and have since fallen into disuse or have been dismantled. But now, in this current time of crisis where there is a serious shortage of beds and need for emergency care, they are needed the most.”
Groenewald said the government’s intention to vaccinate 70% of citizens by the end of the year was unattainable if less than 4% of the population had been vaccinated to date.
He said businesses, like restaurants and their employees in particular, were bearing the brunt of the government’s incompetence.
DA leader John Steenhuisen said the opposition party has called for a comprehensive parliamentary inquiry into the government’s handling of the vaccine programme.
“Having spent 15 months in various levels of lockdown, South Africans should at least be able to expect universal access to life-saving medical treatment.
“But he (the president) and his government have failed to build health-care capacity to be able to accommodate all in need. And failed to build track-and-trace capacity to isolate the virus and break chains of transmission.
“All they have delivered are lame excuses and damaging lockdowns,” said Steenhuisen.
Political Bureau
