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South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa has said the implementation of mandatory Covid-19 vaccination must be based on mutual respect and the rights of people.
Ramaphosa also said he believed employees may refuse vaccination on medical and constitutional grounds.
If necessary, Ramaphosa said, steps should be taken to responsibly accommodate workers who do not want to be vaccinated, including allowing those who can continue working from home.
Ramaphosa answered questions from lawmakers in the National Assembly on Friday and responded to the issue of mandatory vaccination.
“The implementation of any mandatory vaccination policies must, in the end, be based on mutual respect, which is the respect of the rights of the people which achieve the balance between public health imperatives, the Constitutional rights of employees, and the efficient operation of the employer’s business. Now that is quite a delicate balance that needs to be struck,” he said.
Ramaphosa said: No one should be forced to be vaccinated. Instead, we need to use the available scientific evidence to encourage, repeat encourage, people, to be vaccinated to protect themselves, but also to protect people around them.
He also said, at the same time, occupational health and safety laws required a safe working environment.
“This situation poses challenges for employers who want to keep their workers safe from Covid-19 while respecting the rights of those who don’t want to be vaccinated,” Ramaphosa said.
At a press briefing preceding Ramaphosa’s session in the National Assembly on Friday, Health Minister Joe Phaahla said the government’s position on mandatory vaccination “is very clear”. News24
