- Get the vaccine soonest
- Lock down won’t help long enough
- Have a roll-out plan
- Using deaths of high profile people as testimony won’t work long enough
Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) new recruit, Lawrence Ookeditse have urged the government to get the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) vaccine and come up with a sustainable roll-out plan of how it is going to be administered.
He condemned the frequent use of lockdowns by the government in an effort to contain the virus, saying it is not a strategy that can work in a long term basis, but would rather waste the money that could have been used to purchase the vaccine.
“We may lock the country down. It’ll help but won’t possibly do for long enough. We will only delay the inevitable and government would probably lose more money which could’ve gone on to purchasing a vaccine. Get the vaccine soonest.”
Lawrence Ookeditse
The government has formerly created and deposited two billion pula into the Covid-19 relief fund, private companies as well as individuals also made donations to the fund. The reports have it that the money from the fund has been depleted.
The money in the Covid-19 relief fund was used mostly during the first national lockdown, it was used to buy food hampers and distribute across the household throughout Botswana as most people had no source of income to sustain themselves.
“Get the vaccine.” Ookeditse said “Get serious about getting the vaccine quick enough. Don’t just say we are procuring with a block of other African countries without targets. Tell us what month we are starting to vaccinate. Just be open so we support decisions Knowing exactly what will happen.” He added.
Ookeditse challenged the government to get the vaccine and have a detailed plan with targets which would then be shared with the public, he condemned the scare mechanisms saying they are not bringing any solution to the table. “Get the vaccine soonest and have a rollout plan. Plans must have dates and targets not this thing where it’s like we’re having beer talk with a bunch of friends. The use of deaths of high profile people and those of people close to us as testimony that Corona kills won’t work for long. Get the vaccine.”
This comes after a communication made by the government, publicized through the state radios, stating that the government will procure a vaccine which would be enough for only twenty percent (20%) of the population. The reports did not specify the dates and no roll-out plan was outlined.
Lawrence Ookeditse joins the publicity secretary of the UDC- Moeti Mohwasa who too expressed concerns about the livelihoods of the people amid these trying times.
