Johannesburg – The ANC national executive committee (NEC) leadership has urged all countries to be guided by scientific and evidence-based approaches to contain the spread Covid-19 pandemic.
The party also urged all South Africans who have not yet vaccinated to get their jabs as soon as possible.
The call was made following the convening of the party’s NEC meeting held on Friday.
“The ANC condemned the existing travel restrictions imposed by some countries as ill-informed, unjustified, counter productive and irrational.
“As such, these restrictions constitute unfair discrimination against South Africa and other countries in Southern Africa,” said ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe.
He said, “no country should be punished for the advancements of its scientific community, instead we should continue to share information in the spirit of global human solidarity”.
Mabe said the NEC welcomed the decision by the National Coronavirus Command Council to maintain country’s adjusted alert level 1.
“The NEC called for stricter adherence to the public health safety measures such as wearing masks, social distancing, hand hygiene and, especially, avoiding crowded indoor spaces gatherings.
“The NEC reiterated its disappointment at the decision by certain countries to impose travel restrictions on a number of Southern African countries, in reaction to the identification of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus,” Mabe said.
Mabe said the NEC called upon alliance partners, mass democratic movement formations, business, labour and civil society to join in calling for the lifting of travel restrictions and welcomed the decision by certain countries to reverse their ill-considered decisions.
He said the NEC was urging all South Africans who were not vaccinated to get their jabs as soon as possible.
“The NEC urged the government to finalise consultation with all social partners on introducing vaccine mandates in identified settings.
“We repeat our calls for developed countries to release more vaccines to those in the developing world,” Mabe said.
Mabe said the NEC expressed its support and wished two of its leaders, President Cyril Ramaphosa and deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte speedy recovery after they tested positive for Covid-19.
Political Bureau