Covid 19: David Mabuza Encourages South Africans to Get the Jab Ahead of the Festive Season

Covid 19: David Mabuza Encourages South Africans to Get the Jab Ahead of the Festive Season

  • Deputy President David Mabuza is trying to get as many South Africans vaccinated before the festive season comes around as possible
  • Mabuza launched a Covid 19 mass vaccination campaign he hopes will encourage more people to get the jab by December
  • Mabuza hopes to get most of Mzansi vaccinated so we can go back to watching sports at stadiums and enjoying entertainment

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JOHANNESBURG - With the festive season just a few months away, the need to ramp up the Covid 19 vaccination programme and open up entertainment and sporting events has become a greater initiative.

South Africa's Deputy President David Mabuza is on a mission to get as many people in the country vaccinated so they can fill up stadiums yet again, according to TimesLIVE.

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Covid 19, Coronavirus, Johannesburg, David Mabuza urges South Africans, vaccine, jab, festive season, December
Deputy President David Mabuza wants as many South Africans to get vaccinated ahead of the festive season as possible. Images: Sharon Seretlo/Gallo Images
Source: Getty Images

Mabuza kicked off the government's national immunisation campaign, 'Return to Play - It's in Your Hand', in Johannesburg on Wednesday. The campaign's goal is to get as many individuals inoculated as possible before the holiday season begins in December.

He says, in order for the nation to return to attending theatre shows, sporting events and the like, then they need to get vaccinated. He also encourages citizens to go out and educate others about vaccination as part of the campaign.

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He highlighted how hard the Covid 19 regulations have been on artists, adding that even with government assistance, it is not enough for some to sustain their livelihoods, according to EWN.

He called on people within these industries he hopes will open up to go out and encourage others to get their jabs as well.

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People react to Mabuza's mass call to vaccinate

While Mabuza's call to reopen industries that rely on mass gatherings may seem like the right direction in ramping up the vaccine programme, some South Africans do not agree with Mabuza's approach.

Twitter users expressed that it seems like Mabuza is trying to force people to get the jab. Others felt that Mabuza'a vaccine campaign was merely the ANC's election campaign in disguise.

Here are some of the comments from Twitter users:

@JoeMajozie said:

"Imagine getting yourself injected with God knows what just to go see a lousy Bafana Bafana match... mxm."

@Sibusisiwe_SS said:

"Why is David Mabuza forcing people to vaccinate? I am laughing but this ain’t funny coz how did they convince him to take this gig? "

@misumuzi_4 said:

"The worst part is that David Mabuza is doing elections campaign disguised as vaccine campaign! So literally the ANC is using public funds for their electioneering. Hayi, siyabuswa struu."

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@BizGuru4

"Unbelievable guys. But as expected, the ANC is using vaccines for campaigns. David Mabuza & Joe Phaahla are in North West campaigning on the vaccine encouragement stage Bloody tricksters, what about job creation, housing & proper schooling facilities & local clinics."

70% herd immunity to be achieved in SA by 31 December, says David Mabuza

Briefly News previously reported that the majority of South Africans are expected to be vaccinated against the coronavirus by the time the end of the year rolls around.

In terms of a percentage, Deputy President David Mabuza said the expectation is that 70% of the population – which translates to 40 million of 59 million South Africans – would have received their Covid jabs.

With a general lack of widespread acceptance to vaccinate by South Africans, Mabuza said the increase in mobile vaccination sites and door-to-door campaigns was bearing fruit, News24 reported.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Lebogang Mashego avatar

Lebogang Mashego (Current Affairs HOD) Lebogang Mashego runs the Current Affairs desk. She joined the Briefly News team in 2021. She has 6 years of experience in the journalism field. Her journalism career started while studying at Rhodes University, where she worked for the Oppidan Press for 3 years. She worked as a lifestyle writer and editor at W24 and Opera News. She graduated with a BA degree majoring in Journalism and Media Studies in 2017. She's a recipient of the INMA Elevate Scholarship. Email: lebogang.mashego@briefly.co.za