When the sun rose on 1st April, 2018 hopes were raised and promises made. There came in a new Sheriff in town called Dr Eric KeabetsweMasisi. The political deceit that followed led to false hope and dazed excitement. Masifesto, a theory of political deceit, giving false statements, lack of respect for the truth, underlined by intolerance and petulancetook a grip. Slightly just over three years later, with a rigged general election in between, the nation is in a state of distress. We are on a radarless ship out at sea. Lost and on our own. It has moved from excitement to suffering, pain and anguish. Large numbers of deaths could have been avoided if there was prudent use of state resources and visionary leadership. Currently there is a shortage of Covid 19 vaccines, beds, medical personnel, oxygen, ambulances and other necessary equipment. It is sadly embarrassing and disappointing that Batswana have to cross the border and go to South Africa to get their jabs because the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)has failed them. We have been failed by a regime that has a vaccination programme, if ever it could be labeled as one, that started off without clear targets. The government is winking in the dark, with no coordination but contrasting statements. The regime’s ineptness has been exposed and the President has thrown in the towel and has prescribed prayer as our solace.There has not been any genuine political appetite to curb the impact of Covid 19.
Over a year into the state of emergency (SOE), which includes a month long national lockdown, the health system is still very far from mitigating the impact of the pandemic. Other countries used the lockdown for preparedness while we failed. This has exposed the lack of creativity and agility on the part of the moribund BDP government. The health system still remains incapacitated. This period has been characterised by looting and self enrichment. In fact we have produced more instant millionaires than at any epoch in the history of this country.
All the medical facilities including the Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital suffer from serious shortage of staff. At the height of the epidemic, ICU capacity remains less than 10 beds. A whole ward at the referral facility would have a doctor and two nurses looking after a ward for 12 hours.
Except one meeting that was held with the Opposition leaders, the government has failed to treat the opposition as partners in the fight against Covid 19. This is not just a mere disease; it is an economic and social menace to society. The nation has been left to fend for itself as the government has failed to provide the necessary support to the weaker members of society and businesses, in particular those in the tourism sector and SMMEs. The little help that has been extended so far has been haphazard, disjointed and self-servingfor the President, his associates and others in authority.
The consistent change of senior personnel at the Directorate of Health has been a real distraction. The SOE should be discontinued and the Director of Health Services empowered to do his/her job without hindrance. Most countries are doing so. Decision making will then become professional and not political. If the Director is empowered under the Public Health Emergency Act, he/she can authorize use of new remedies eg Ivermectin, instead of this long route on an old drug that has been studied for a long time.
The Task Force has also overstayed its usefulness and is now another distraction. It is politically controlled and serves a few elites and the ruling party cronies. It was also wrong for the President to appoint Professor Mosepele Mosepele as his personal physician. It shows lack of appreciation of ethics on his part. It has blurred roles. Mosepele’s job at the Task Force is supposed to be full time and he should be a dispassionate advisor to the President and government.
The unfortunate situation that we are faced with is without doubt a creation of the BDP government. Following the outbreak of Covid 19 in March, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) in June of the same year, set up the Covax Facility, a partnership that aims to secure and equitably allocate doses of Covid 19 vaccines. This was broken into two categories;
a) Advanced Market Commitment (AMC) which had 92 less developed countries. This categoryis for countries that are to be given free vaccines but were to pay for transport only.
b) Self Financing Participants (SFP) upper middle income and developed countries. Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Mauritius in SADC. These category was for 100% self financing of vaccines
WHO decided that each country should if it decides to be part of the Covax Facility, commit to acquiring 20% of the total population under both categories. Under the Facility, the Botswana government was to get 960 000 vaccines which were to cover 480 000 people. Botswana refused to opt for this option and instead showed interest in only 5% under the optional arrangement. However, under this arrangement, the government paid an amount which covered only 2.5% of the population instead of 5 %. This entitled the country to 120 690 vaccines, broken down to 100 800 Astrazeneca and 19 890 Pfizer vaccines. WHO sent 70% translating to 82 290 vaccines, leaving a balance of 38 400 which will be arriving today(08-08-21). The 82 290 vaccines were delivered under the second and third Covax allocation. We failed to get the 38 400 balance by June 2021 due to failure by the government to account for the 82 290 vaccines that had been delivered. There is a serious problem of lack of accountability. The regime is outright incompetent. Under the 4th allocation, WHO decided not to give Botswana any vaccines as we had failed to produce a proper Roll Out plan or account for the earlier allocation. See Covax Allocation round 4.
On the 5th allocation, WHO indicates that they planned to allocate Pfizer to the 5 SFP countries in Sub Saharan Africa being, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Gabon and Mauritius. However Botswana was the only country among the 5 SFPs which was not allocated any vaccines as the regime had failed to pay for the vaccines. This further exposing as lies and fraudulent the claims by this regime that they had ordered and paid for 940 000 vaccines under Covax. We were therefore part of the 18 countries excluded because the regime slept on the job. See Covax Allocation Round 5.
A number of factors led to our current situation of shortage or rather absence of vaccines and therefore unnecessary loss of lives in a number of instances. We chose to take 2.5 % (12.5% of the allocated share) and forego 17.5% (87.5% of the allocated share). Thus getting 120 690 vaccines instead of a possible 960 000. Lack of accountability and failure to pay for orders on time are two other factors. We therefore lost out on receiving over 800 000 vaccines to cover about 400 000 people, as these were mainly double doze vaccines.
Country Doses Allocated Doses order by country Doses shipped by Covax
Botswana 263, 790(5% of the pop.) 120, 690 (2.5% of the pop.) 82, 290 (balance 08-08-21)
Eswatini 429, 420(20% of the pop.) 328, 800 340, 800
Lesotho 475, 020 (20& of the pop.) 374, 400 374, 400
Namibia 374, 220 (7% of the pop.) 67, 200 67, 200
South Africa 7.893,120 (10% of the pop. 1,392, 300 1, 392, 300
Source. UNICEF. ORG
According to UNICEF, Allocation Round 5 will not include the following 63 COVAX facility participants:
*small population participants who already reached 20% total population coverage through COVAX secured vaccine doses and participants who have reached their requested population coverage.
* Committed Purchase SFPs that had a price opt-out and Optional Purchaser SFPs who opt out of the Round
* Participants who used the delay toggle to opt out of the entire round
*Optional Purchaser SFPs who have already achieved their total pro-rata share of Pfizer dozes, in accordance with their participant model terms and conditions.
On this allocation, Pfizer was delivered to these countries as they had committed by making payment, South Africa (1181 700), Namibia (100 620), Mauritius (76 050) and Gabon (100 620) in July.This information can be found at Covax Vaccine Allocation Round 5 table.
In terms of the agreement with Moderna, we were to pay them by the 6th of July. We failed to pay and therefore we could not get the vaccines.
In a recent statement, The Minister of Health said the government paid the sum of US$ 3.3m for 940 000 vaccines which was to cover 20% of the population.
He further mentioned the following commitments for orders-
*claimed to have received 400 000 SINOVAC vaccines.200 000 through purchase and the other 200 000 through gift.
*30 000 Covi-shield from India as donation.
*82 290 Covax
Bringing the total vaccines received to 512 290.
According to the most recent Global Covid 19 Vaccination Report, Botswana has administered 352 000 vaccines, representing a shortfall of around 200 000 yet it is reported that there is a current shortage of vaccines.
Botswana has no bilateral arrangement with any vaccine manufacturer/ country for procurement of vaccines save for donations from India and China (30 000 and 200 000). This is confirmed by the latest UNICEF (see UNICEF Covid 19 Dashboard) which says that there is no bilateral agreement between Botswana and any other country or vaccine maufacturer. Therefore Botswana could not have paid US$ 3m for Sinovac. It is therefore questionable if indeed the money was used for Sinovac Vaccines.
In a recent statement, Minister of Health, Dr Dikoloti mentioned that the country is expecting the followingvaccines;
Covax – -940 800 vaccines (double dose) covering 470 400 people
J&J through AU -1, 152 000 vaccines (single dose) covering 1 152 000 people
Pfizer – 2 million vaccines (double dose) covering 1 million people
Moderna – 500 000 vaccines (double doze) covering 250 000 people
China – 400 000 vaccines (double doze) covering 200 000 people
Astrazeneca – 30 000 vaccines (double doze) covering 15 000 people
Covaxin– 100 000 vaccines (double doze) covering 50 000people
TOTAL 5 122 800 3 137 000 PEOPLE
Source: Dr Dikoloti Statement
The figures above are a clear fallacy. Why would Botswana order 5 122 800 vaccines for an adult population of 1.6m?
It is disturbing that we have decided to pay more for Sinovac, (if indeed we paid) and Covaxin when you can get alternative vaccines elsewhere. DrDikolotihas stated that the government has paid US$ 3M to purchase 200 000 Sinovac vaccines when it could have used the same amount to buy 500 000 Johnson and Johnson vaccines through AU(AVATT) for the same amount. If the regime had paid Covax and AVATT US$ 10.3 for 940 800 COVAX Double doze plus 1 152 000 J&J from AVATT without bilateral, Botswana would have fully vaccinated 1.6m people. This represents 100 % of the adult population and 67 % head immunity which would be the highest in the world right now. The question is where is the money?Refer to table on Vaccine Prices
Country Vaccine Price
Botswana Sinovac US$ 15.00
Botswana Moderna US$ 8.66
Botswana Covaxin US$16.00
AU Pfizer US$ 6.75
AU J&J US$ 6.00
COVAX ASTRAZANECA US$ 3,00
Source: UNICEF. ORG
It is worth noting that the Solidarity fund raised around P3bn, with P 2bn coming from the government and the balance from the private sector and individuals. US$ 10.3m translates into about P 113m. The question is where is the difference? In short, we have been failed by a regime that has a vaccination programme that started off without clear targets. We have been betrayed as a nation by the very people that we have entrusted our lives to. Sad!
*Moeti Mohwasa is Secretary General of opposition Botswana National Front and also Spokesperson of the UDC
