MDC-Alliance national spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere has dismissed allegations by Deputy Chief Secretary-Presidential Communications in the Office of the President and Cabinet, George Charamba that the opposition party received COVID-19 vaccines from the US embassy.
Posting on Twitter, Mahere dismissed the allegations saying Charamba’s assertions were regrettable.
“I repeat: the MDC Alliance has not received vaccines from any person or organization. It’s a matter of regret that Mr Charamba continues to act in this disgraceful manner. He is telling lies and playing politics with people’s lives instead focusing on curbing vaccine hesitancy.
“It’s a matter of record that people are dying of COVID yet Govt refused vaccines that were offered to them under COVAX. They must not deflect by dragging the MDC Alliance into this. Our priority is the need to save lives. We can’t be politicking over a matter of this nature. We urge citizens not to be distracted by such cheap politics. Rather, follow all COVID-19 protocols. Mask up. Sanitize. Practise social distancing and #GetVaccinated.” wrote Mahere
In a tweet on Monday, Charamba who uses the moniker @Jamwanda2 said the opposition movement had received half a million of the Covax vaccine from the US government.
“MDC is in a bit of a bind which it now seeks to resolve, abortively aided by the undiplomatic US man here. They have been given two tranches of American vaccines, in total amounting to half a million doses, for a political vaccination programme through which they hope to checkmate the goodwill that has accrued to Zanu PF through a sprite public vaccination programme. The two vaccines they have been given are not registered in Zimbabwe. Therein lies their dilemma!!! The laws of the country do not allow importation of unregistered vaccines.
“The US Embassy strategy has been to desperately stampede the Ministry of Health to allow Govt to accept importation and administration of those unregistered vaccines, using Covax facility. This would then provide cover to this political donation. Unfortunately for them, Chinese, Russian and Indian vaccines which are now registered for use in the country, are now registered with the WHO, making them part of the Covax menu. Zimbabwe insists that any assistance under Covax limits itself to those registered vaccines. The US and their MDC-Alliance lackeys are in a real bind,” tweeted Charamba.
