Mkhize needs to put vaccines roll-out reality on the table

Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has always presented a face of bravery and composure during the coronavirus pandemic, even at the height of the chaos during the second wave in January this year.

That was when the country had the highest daily increase of up to 21 000 new cases in a single day and pandemic daily deaths threatened to hit the 1 000 mark.

Mkhize did not to flinch or waver in his commitment to get the country’s numbers back to manageable levels.

While this is commendable in the face of an invisible onslaught by a mutating virus, a more commendable action is to stay honest and truthful at all times.

“Statistics don’t lie but statisticians do.”

ALSO READ: SA not in Covid-19 third wave yet as vaccine roll-out gets under way

This saying – attributed to Mark Twain – best sums up South Africa’s current state in relation to the pandemic. The reassuring public facade of the health minister and the daily Covid-19 statistics have always given the public the feeling that all is under control.

The public has no reason to doubt the numbers and equally, the statistician, Mkhize, looks trustworthy.

But the vaccination roll-out suggests the statistics and public facade have played a major role in keeping the public from questioning why the vaccination roll-out is in such shambles.

The latest press briefing by the minister and health MECs promising up to 17 million vaccinations by October this year is commendable. It is also stated that the first part of the phase 2 jabs are aimed at the most vulnerable, in old-age homes. More promises.

This time though, the promises come with a bit of meat on the bone: weekly batches of just over 300 000 vaccines will be received by the country, going up to 600 000 by June.

Again, these are just numbers. The proof of whether these numbers are translating into real vaccinated citizens will have to come from the health minister himself.

Unlike with the daily Covid-19 statistics, the minister must not leave the public thinking all is well by not coming out to admit the roll-out has been a shambles thus far. Teething problems must be expected, every project has those.

But lying by omission gives the public a false sense that all is well.

Honesty includes admitting that relying largely on online registration for people over 60 years of age was not the smartest move in a society as unequal as SA.

Even in those cases where the educated and privileged elderly have managed to register, the SMSes confirming an individual is registered have not always come through.

As a third wave is apparently hovering over the country, an SMS confirming where a vulnerable person will get their jab could be the difference between life and death.

A public taken into confidence about exactly what is going on with the vaccination roll-out will most likely respond better to measures taken to curb the pandemic.

It will soon become necessary to tighten Covid-19 restrictions to prevent a catastrophe before the vaccine rollout reaches a tipping point towards herd immunity. Citizens have suffered a lot in the past year, they deserve honesty.

A confident-looking Mkhize hiding behind daily statistics while omitting to tell the whole truth is dishonesty.

South Africans have tried to play their part during the difficult times and they deserve to know everything, good or bad, about how the roll-out is going.