Afrosoul songstress Amanda Black is clearly against the idea of mandatory vaccination, following developments that workers will have to choose between the jab and job security soon.
Amanda Black says no to mandatory vaccination
The subject of mandated inoculation has been contentious, since President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in last week’s ‘family meeting’ that a task team reporting to Deputy President David Mabuza has been formed to conduct policy research on introducing mandatory vaccination in a democracy.
Days later, while on a West Africa tour, Ramaphosa addressed the media and revealed that not only was a decision on the vaccine mandate expected this week, but that his job was to “nudge everyone in the same direction.”
“We live in a country where people have a number of strong views for and against and my task as a leader is to nudge everyone in the same direction, and through the dialogue that I said we should have, hopefully [we’ll] get everyone to move in a direction where we will all be aware as South Africans about the danger of not being vaccinated,” Ramaphosa said.
Already, companies are miles ahead in implementing mandatory vaccination policies, the latest being MTN Group who, in a statement released this week, revealed that from January 2022, unvaccinated workers may lose their jobs.
Speaking out against the mandate, Black took to social media to share a cartoon meme depicting a labour market bridged by the jab and captioned it with:
“No one [should be forced to vaccinate], It should be about health, not about control. Trust your instincts. Remove the fear, answers will come from YOU.”
Of course, it may be outside of the Sinazo songstress’ hands at this point, since on Tuesday, the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) endorsed the move towards mandatory vaccination at workplaces.
“The most important measures that all social partners agree on is that ramping up vaccinations, including through positive and negative incentives, is critical, as well as the ongoing promotions of pharmaceutical interventions,” Nedlac executive director Lisa Seftel said.