MTN became the latest corporate to plunge into the vaccine mandate pool with its announcement this morning saying the mandate would take effect from January 2022 to protect its staff and customers from Covid-19
The telecoms giant joins the likes of Discovery, Sanlam and Standard Bank in deciding to call for mandatory vaccination among its staff. Discovery showed how effective such a mandate could be when it said last week that around 94% of its 11 000-strong staff are vaccinated.
Financial Mail’s Rob Rose writes that retailers need to start showing “leadership and stop tiptoeing around vaccine mandates.”
Rose refers to a case involving Pick ‘n Pay. One of the supermarkets’ franchises located in the town of Wellington in the Western Cape sent a letter to a member of staff ordering them to produce sufficient evidence of vaccination within 14 days, which would be December 10 according to the letter or face possible dismissal.
The employee in question had been asked to produce evidence of vaccination in October already but failed to do so thus requiring the rather stern response from the franchise owner. Pick ‘n Pay for its part says that the question of vaccine mandates is left up to the individual franchise owners.
Rose calls it a tangible example of how a vaccine mandate might work within a business.
“…and along the lines of how mandates have been imposed in several countries, particularly in the US, to great effect. In a customer-facing business, like a retailer, airline or hospital, this is an arguably even more critical imperative.”
Of course, should vaccine mandates be introduced en masse there will be blowback from staffers and society-at-large as many will surely make a noise about constitutional and religious rights. But private businesses be they corporate or otherwise also should ensure there are safe working environments for their staffers and customers.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will meet with advisors this week to consider new lockdown rules for the busy festive season and possible vaccine mandates. It would also be good to look at how these mandates would be enforced.
The Pick ‘n Pay case illustrates one good example while the Discovery one shows how efficient mandates are for driving up vaccination rates.
David Harrison interrogates the questions surrounding vaccine mandates, what they are, how they would work, how they could work in SA, and what would happen if they fail locally?
“In the heat of the moment, however, we could rush into choices that worsen our prospects of reaching critical thresholds of coverage,” writes Harrison, adding, “In essence, vaccine mandates are instructions to compel people to get vaccinated. They are premised on the view that high vaccination rates are critical to protect society and restore the economy.”
For all the talk of vaccine mandates, we should also look at how the latest Omicron variant is affecting South Africa and the effect it could have on the local economy.
Tshwane has been identified as the epicentre of the Omicron variant’s outbreak and doctors have noticed a change in the clinical profile of the patients that are currently being admitted to hospitals in the area with patients younger in age but showing less severe symptoms than before.
Here’s a roundup of interesting opinions, analysis, and editorials:
Our veins do not end in our bodies – New Frame
LUKANYO MNYANDA: Omicron, eager scientists and insincere ‘friends’ a deadly combination for Africa – Business Day (Subscribe to read)
Cyril Ramaphosa | Do the responsible thing, and get vaccinated against Covid-19 – News24
Adriaan Basson | Save the NPA from personalities and egos – News24 (Subscribe to read)
Mpumelelo Mkhabela | Parties will soon be unable to keep donors private – and it’s a good thing – News24 (Subscribe to read)
JUSTICE MALALA | It beggars belief that Cele and Sitole are still in office – Sunday Times Daily (Subscribe to read)
MICHAEL AVERY: PIC’s role in RBPlat deal pivotal in bidding war between Implats and Northam – Business Day
2021: The year of the whistleblower – Mail & Guardian
