Zimbabweans on social media have expressed mixed feelings after Billionaire, Strive Masiyiwa criticized the COVAX facility for sidelining Africa and failing to deliver the 700 million vaccine doses to the continent as was initially agreed early this year.
Speaking during a virtual summit on vaccine equality and equitable distribution, Strive Masiyiwa bemoaned how COVAX facility has not worked in favor of the African people citing that there was a “deliberate global architecture of unfairness” making it difficult for countries to access vaccines.
Masiyiwa claimed that rich countries were given preference and hoarded doses in advance. He revealed that when he inquired about Covid-19 vaccines, the vaccine manufacturers told him all 2021 supplies had been bought by rich nations.
Following the virtual summit, some were of the view that Africans should stop playing the blame game and produce their own vaccines instead of relying on the rich countries to supply them with the vaccine. Some even opined that Zimbabwe should take lessons from Cuba which recently developed its own vaccine.
Here some of the reactions from social media;
Last year, when #COVID19 vaccines were introduced, Africans dissed the West. The West was accused of trying to wipe the Africans. Today we are accusing the West of hoarding the vaccine and monopoly over the patents
Just like Cuba, Africa should invest in technology and education https://t.co/1gqUip3vk3
— Mazet (@maDube_) June 24, 2021
When vaccine was still being explored, we were busy peddling conspiracy theories about how the West was planning to exterminate us using the vaccines. Now we’re crying foul that they won’t let us have it. Cuba isn’t moaning; they just developed theirs with higher efficacy.
— Dumisani Ndlela (@dndlela) June 25, 2021
He should have been pushing for waiving of patent rights on COVID-19vaccines,some African countries have the capacity to manufacture locally especially RSA.For a man whose ECONET business has thrived on monopoly his assertions are fraught with contradictions,he is right on this
— George (@Gift88574510) June 24, 2021
He should tell the African leaders to stop looting and invest in research & manufacturing. We all know Ebola always pops up after few years but is there any African country doing any research into the vaccine or medicine to manage the disease but we quick to blame the West.
— Tafadzwa Bvupajena (@398117blackspo1) June 24, 2021
The unfair architecture yes! But the problem is African leaders. Economic misrule breeds human capital flight. You find people like Dr Tatenda Shopera will abandon their countries to join big multinationals like Pfizer when they could have been helping out their countries.
— Andile Mpofu (@andilempofuu) June 24, 2021
African leaders will be complaining that rich nations are making it impossible to access vaccines. Fair enough. But when rich nations come knocking for minerals and other resources, the same leaders fall over each other to provide cheap and easy access to them.
— Alex T Magaisa 🇿🇼 (@Wamagaisa) June 24, 2021
I’m so ashamed about all these syndromes that afflict us Africans: victimhood, sense of entitlement, paranoia, refusal to take responsibility for own failures.
— Handina Zita (@HandinaZ) June 25, 2021
African countries have many minerals but they remain poor becoz of lack of leadership. African leaders loot minerals instead of developing the Health sector. By now Africa was suppose to be manufacturing its own vaccines. It’s a shame that Africa depends on donated vaccines. pic.twitter.com/R1LKLjMWsf
— denzo (@magdenzo79) June 25, 2021
VACCINE APARTHEID?
Poorer nations are forced to wait as richer nations are prioritised even after paying in advance. These poorer nations are also made to pay a much higher price per shot sometimes as high as three times what the rich nations pay. Human Rights? My foot! pic.twitter.com/x1qzrPNkcZ
— Nick Mangwana (@nickmangwana) June 24, 2021
