These are not normal times. The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic upended life as we knew it. Vaccine passports could become the next flash point. And as the steady drumbeat of reports about new variants, such as the Delta and the newly discovered B.1.621 variant, which is under investigation in the United Kingdom (UK) come in, this has brought a new worry. Will the efficacy of the current vaccines in circulation be enough to protect people against the proliferation of mutations that continue to emerge?
There hasn’t been any conversation in Botswana about whether vaccination passports, or proof of vaccination, should be required before entering certain venues or events. At the moment, there is no legal requirement, so it is not an enforced rule to ask anyone for proof of vaccination.
However, while the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) is, for now, silent about the Covid-19 pass – perhaps because a majority of the population hasn’t been vaccinated – it is highly probable that a time will come when Botswana will need to have a national conversation over whether the introduction of such a requirement is a national necessity or whether it should be left to high risk businesses such as Travel and hospitality to decide on and regulate for themselves, which is most unlikely.
A commentator who spoke to this publication, on condition of anonymity, indicated that before government moves in that direction, they must give this issue careful consideration.
“Proof of vaccination is essential in rebooting Botswana’s economy and returning back to safe leisure, commercial and social activities, but the process of creating credentials is fraught with challenges,” he says.
As an example, he points out how the Covid-19 permit system caused delays for people who wanted to travel as the system was sometimes down and not functioning, leaving people stranded.
“A disordered and ineffectual vaccine credential approach could hamper Botswana’s pandemic response by slowing economic recovery, which is urgently needed right now. It also undermines public trust and confidence as we saw with the Covid-19 permit system which led to untold frustration,” he says.
His concerns are not unfounded.
The African continent’s top epidemiologist, Dr. John Nkengasong, who is the Director of the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, recently warned that Covid-19 passports could exacerbate socio-economic inequalities.
“Our position is very simple. Any imposition of a vaccination passport will create huge inequities and will further exacerbate them,” says Dr. Nkengasong.
If this Covid passport is effected as a national requirement, without the necessary privacy protections, the vaccine passports could result in the exile of economic and social opportunities for people without proof of immunisation. This would be regressive in Botswana because some think-tanks have warned already that inequalities in Botswana exceed bounds of reason.
Elsewhere, the planned introduction of vaccine passports has already triggered cries of discrimination in the UK, violent protests in France and demonstrations in Denmark. While vaccine passports are not just essential for domestic use, in order to restart economies, they also allow permit bearers to travel internationally.
And there lies the quandary.
Like we have come to understand in the past few months, vaccines are not equal when it comes to the resumption of global travel. Vaccines have become a fully-fledged geo-political tool being used by some countries.
Canada rolled out vaccine passports to facilitate international travel. However, Canada is only allowing vaccines approved in Canada and this includes Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
This means that scores of Batswana, or any other persons who received shots by Chinese makers, like Sinovac Biotech Ltd. and Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd. are likely to be prevented from entering certain countries and this could have serious consequences for some Batswana.
Currently, more than 450 airlines now use IBM’s digital health vaccine passport. Although the state-owned national flag carrier – Air Botswana – is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents over 289 airlines from around the world, news that an increasing number of airlines are signing up for the IATA Travel Pass – an initiative designed to provide airlines and governments with proof that passengers have been vaccinated, will soon provoke national conversations about covid passports in Botswana.
This is because the IATA travel pass might incorporate biometric information, such as a thumbprint or facial recognition, to prove a person’s identity, thereby expanding the area into personal territory, an exposure that other countries try to protect their citizens from.
Just as Africa has lagged behind in the race for Covid-19 vaccines, the continent is now being left out as world travel ramps up in many parts of the world.
The refusal of some countries to accept the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines could prove geopolitically costly, not just for Botswana but for the entire world, as allies and foes have no choice but to work together in a fight for the world’s survival.
Vaccine passports underscore the necessity for Botswana to move quickly and formulate legislation that safeguards and protects the privacy of its citizens.
Sooner, rather than later, a national conversation will have to take place on the Covid pass and Batswana better be ready. If this Covid passport is effected as a national requirement, without the necessary privacy protections, the vaccine passports could result in the exile of economic and social opportunities for people without proof of immunisation.
And, as Dr John Nkengasong says, this could exacerbate racial and socioeconomic inequities.
Unbalanced standards might lead to geopolitical gamesmanship and, when it comes to that, Africa’s track record is rather dismal.
For now, however, as efforts mount to return to normal, the “new normal”, Botswana must keep an eye on the international trends and what other nations are imposing so that it, Botswana, can formulate home-grown solutions that do not betray or sell it’s citizens’ privacy, because, in citizens, the nation’s secrets lie.
