Finance minister Mthuli Ncube yesterday appealed to
well-wishers to contribute to a government fund to buy vaccines that would be
administered to all Zimbabweans for free.
Ncube said government had launched a “broader private
sector initiative for the corporate sector, citizens to contribute financially
and/or otherwise towards the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines”.
“Donations and contributions for this initiative can be
sent directly to National Disaster Fund accounts and mobile wallets,” he said.
His appeal was, however, queried by local health industry
experts who say Zimbabwe has been giving unreasonable excuses not to sign to
the UN’s Covax facility — a global initiative aimed at equitable access to
Covid-19 vaccines.
The southern African country could be guaranteed over one
million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca-University of Oxford
Covid-19 vaccines by July if government signs up to the facility.
Zimbabwe is said to be leaning towards vaccines from China
and Russia while raising reservations about vaccines under the Covax facilty.
A local health insurance industry official familiar with
discussions over Zimbabwe’s proposed Covid-19 vaccination plans said government
officials were raising questions about why vaccines acquired under the Covax
facility were only earmarked for third world countries.
“They are raising conspiracy theories oblivious of the
urgency required to get these vaccines,” the official said. “The World Health
Organisation is very frustrated about Zimbabwe’s attitude towards the
facility.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba
on Friday suggested that the British government tried into coerce
Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga to signing up for Covax before Zimbabwe
could do its own technical assessments.
He described an offer extended by British ambassador to
Zimbabwe Melanie Robinson for the country to access the Covax facility as
“vacuous”.
The British embassy in Harare yesterday said Zimbabwe would
not be forced to sign up to the facility, if it was not willing, its allocation
of vaccines would be offered to countries that needed them.
“Covax is a global coalition led by WHO, GAVI and CEPI
which will get 1,3 billion doses to the 92 poorest countries in the world as
Covax announced this week,” a British embassy spokesperson told The Standard
yesterday.
“An initial allocation of 1,15 million doses has been set
aside for Zimbabwe before July. These vaccines will be free of charge.
“The Covax facility also provides support for technical assistance, for example, through WHO and Unicef to help countries prepare to deliver the vaccines — with guidance, tools and training — as well as support for cold chain storage for those who need it.
“It’s important to note that these are discussions between
the countries that wish to benefit from Covid-19 vaccines and Covax: the UK is
not involved.” The embassy said the UK will not benefit from Zimbabwe taking
part in the Covax facility.
“As our ambassador made it clear in her meeting with VP
Constantino Chiwenga in December, the UK is proud to be one of the biggest
funders of Covax, which was set up to vaccinate 20% of the most vulnerable in
the poorest countries,” the embassy spokesperson added.
“In Zimbabwe that equates to about three million people. “The
UK doesn’t benefit from Zimbabwe taking part: indeed if Zimbabwe decides not to
take up the vaccines, that allocation will go to another country.”
The government is also said to be showing little interest
in initiatives by local industry bodies to import vaccines for the inoculation
of their workers and families.
Several industry bodies have submitted proposals to source
for Covid-19 vaccines to the Health and Child Care ministry, but there has been
no response, sources said.
Ncube said the decision to ask for donations followed
“constructive engagements between the government, private sector and
well-wishing citizens, in the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines”.
Former Health minister Henry Madzorera said the government
should make its position on the Covax facility public.
“We also want to know: Is the government tapping into the
Covax facility, and are we going to work with other reliable partners we have
worked with before in the field of immunisation?” Madzorera asked.
MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said the
government’s policy position on Covid-19 vaccines was unclear.
“The policy confusion, contradictory communication and
sheer lack of a solid plan being exhibited by government over this vaccine
roll-out is cause for concern,” Mahere tweeted.
“They claim they’re ready, but they’ve no funding in place
let alone a scientific decision on which vaccine to use. Pathetic.”
Ncube has previously said Zimbabwe has enough money to buy
vaccines to cover the whole population.
Last week he said “private citizens” would have to fund
their own vaccination, before Mnangagwa and Chiwenga publicly said every
Zimbabwean who wanted to be vaccinated would be inoculated for free.
Ncube later said his statement had been taken out of
context. Standard
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