[imagesource: Patrick Fallon/AFP via Getty Images]

‘Lambastes’ has a ring to it.

I considered going with ‘pans’ or ‘ridicules,’ but ultimately settled on ‘lambastes’ because it’s nice to mix things up now and again.

What were we talking about again? Yes, COVID-19 vaccines, and how our government is systematically botching our one hope of life returning to normal.

South Africa has a vaccine plan, with certain dates and phases shifting as we secure further doses, but the promise is that everybody who wants a vaccine will get one by the end of February 2022.

I get that when the government rolls out a plan, that plan gets headlines, but many in the South African media landscape appear all too eager to gobble up these dates, without any thought as to whether or not they’ll actually deliver.

What, over the course of the past month / year/ decade, has pointed to why we should have any trust in this government’s ability to deliver?

Zapiro finds himself in the same corner as me (I call it being a realist, but others may say pessimist), and in his most recent cartoon for The Daily Maverick, he took aim:

Phase 1, targeting around 1,5 million health workers, was supposed to be completed by the end of March, but will now run until closer to the end of May.

According to the latest stats from last night, we have vaccinated just under 290 000 people, and the entire weekend saw a whopping 38 vaccinations:

12 April 2021 #COVID19 statistics in South Africa #CoronaVirusSA pic.twitter.com/SPdabEgTSQ

— Department of Health (@HealthZA) April 12, 2021

Since the Sisonke vaccination ‘study’ launched on February 17, we have averaged around 5 500 vaccines administered per day, so if we want to reach that 1,5 million target by the end of May, we better get cracking.

What could possibly go wrong with Phase 2, targeting around 13,3 million people, and Phase 3, which will target 22,6 million people?

[source:dailymaverick]