Hosia Mviringi
Western countries have been accused of trying to drive a wedge between friendly Southern African countries, using the latest Covid-19 variant discovered in Botswana recently.
In a surprising but not unexpected reaction to the discovery of Omicron Covid-19 variant in Botswana, the initial reaction of the Western block led by Britain was to pick and choose a few countries in Southern Africa that include Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana and Eswatini for red listing.
This process was done in blatant disregard of available empirical data and evidence which suggested that the region remained the most vigilant in Africa, with Zimbabwe being a leader in Africa in terms of acquisition and rollout of vaccines.
It also ignored the fact that Zimbabwe has not recorded a single case of the Omicron variant.
Prominent voices on the continent have condemned Western countries for their hypocrisy on the matter.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Southern African countries need solidarity instead of isolation and condemnation.
“Instead of prohibiting travel, the rich countries of the world need to support the efforts of developing economies to access and to manufacture enough vaccine doses for their people without delay,” said President Ramaphosa.
The World Health Organisation Africa Region has also come out strongly condemning the unilateral travel restrictions against Africa when the world is yet to come to a consensus on the status of the variant and the necessary measures to take both on prevention and management of the variant.
“WHO stands with African nations and calls for borders to remain open.
As countries impose flight bans on southern African nations due to concerns over the new Omicron Variant, WHO urges countries to follow science and health regulations,” the governing body wrote in a statement.
Abuja based Dr Ayoade Alakija, who is the Co-Chair of the African Union Vaccine Delivery Alliance had no kind words to those countries with travel restrictions in place.
“Quite frankly, it is unacceptable. Those travel bans are based on politics not on science. It is wrong. Why are we locking away Africa when the variant is already on three continents?
Nobody is locking away Belgium, Australia or Israel. Why are we then locking away Africa? It is wrong,” Dr Alakija said.
Questions have been asked on the sincerity of the red listing as new evidence is emerging that Western diplomats may have brought the new variant to the region.
The Omicron variant was discovered in samples taken on four unnamed European diplomats who had visited Botswana on November 11, 2021, and whose sequencing led to the discovery of the variant on November 24.
Southern Africa is currently the most organised and politically strong and resistant to foreign interference and manipulation, thus the unrelenting attempts at dividing the region.
This is why the Western hand in trying to divide the region through a selective red listing of some countries within a region where cross border activity is a major mainstay for these countries.
The Omicron variant was discovered in samples taken on four diplomats which had visited Botswana on November 11, 2021 who’s sequencing unearthed on November 24.
It is appalling that the Western countries would red list the same country more than two weeks after the diplomats left Africa for their native capitals.
Southern Africa is currently the most organised and politically strong and resistant to foreign interference and manipulation, thus the unrelenting attempts at dividing the region.
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