South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has blasted western powers of installing travel ban from people traveling from Southern African due to the new Covid-19 variant code named Omicron which was first discovered from South Africa last week.
Cyril says banning travel from from South Africa doesn’t only devastate the economies of Southern Africa that are highly dependent on Tourism but also go precisely against what was agreed at the G20 in Italy earlier this year when it was said countries must open up travel so the tourism sector which has been hit by the pandemic can recover.
I can say I am really disappointed at the approach the rich countries have taken on the issue of vaccines.
Firstly, they hoarded vaccines. They ordered more vaccines than their populations required.
#FDD2021 pic.twitter.com/7XkhgUlK97— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) December 6, 2021
The South African president was speaking at the 7th International Forum in Senegal where he urged African countries to wake up efforts to manufacture their own vaccines to support the growth of African Pharmaceutical manufacturing, create jobs that will result into critical skills and knowledge transfer and develop African industries and businesses.
Manufacturing our own vaccines will further support the growth of African pharmaceutical manufacturing, create jobs, result in critical skills and knowledge transfer, and develop new African industries and businesses.
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) December 6, 2021
He further says when South Africa discovered the new variant, she took the responsibility to inform the world but instead she has been punished for the excellence coming from Africa but the end result is that the new variant continues to spread like wild fire beyond Southern Africa but even in the western countries who thought travel bans would be the solution.
Another disappointment that had been thrown our way is that when South African scientists discovered the new variant Omicron, we immediately took on the responsibility of informing the world. However what was the result?
#FDD2021 pic.twitter.com/1PjfT3SAAG— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) December 6, 2021
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, African countries have majorly depended on the western powers for vaccines through the Covax facility under the African Union as donations and also even purchasing vaccines is believed easy through the same facility to access vaccines currently in use like J&J, Astrazeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, and the Chinese SinoVac.
And so one asks, where is science? These countries have always said to us that we should base our decisions on science. But when the time comes for them to apply it to themselves, they do not, but resort to their own self-interest.
#FDD2021— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) December 6, 2021
The new variant came at the height of surge in the virus cases and deaths in Europe in countries like France, German, UK, Austria and Belgium all reviving Covid-19 restrictions with some enforcing hard biting lockdowns prompting protests in countries like Belgium and Austria.