LISTEN: Govt should not rush into mandatory vaccinations, warns SAHRC
Chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission Bongani Majola says government should make the Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory as a last resort.
“If government decides to compel people to take the jab, they shouldn’t do it immediately. Because we do say, it doesn’t mean that everyone who has not vaccinated is against vaccination, some are just hesitant and need more information.”
“As a way of protecting rights, government should attend to people who can be persuaded to take the vaccine first. Government should not rush to make them mandatory,” says Majola.
The commission’s remarks come amid a heated public debate around mandatory vaccination, and signals by government that vaccine certificates will be rolled out soon.
In terms of protecting the rights of those who do not want to be vaccinated, Majola says a balancing act may be needed between protecting rights and acting against people that pose the risk of endangering others.
“We don’t look at two individuals we also look at what science tells us, that if we do not do this more people will get infected , with serious illness and some may die. . . we’ll have to ask ourselves the question whether we would rather protect your right alone, and let 10 ,15, 100 people fall ill or die.”
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