A Pan-Africanist, Philosopher, and Historian, Bantu Saunders Jumah has appealed to the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), East African Community, and Southern African Development Community (SADC) to support President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera quest to have a laboratory test for Covid-19 vaccines manufacturing in Africa.
Jumah said a laboratory test in Africa is a point of departure that if the vaccines are made in Africa, Africans will be made to believe in safety and not to destroy them as conspiracy theories are high that those that have received the jabs will not last long as the pandemic has five years to stay devastating the world.
He thanked Malawi, Zambia and South Africa for blowing the wind of change citing Malawi disposed of 500,000 Astra Zeneca, South Africans are not willing to take the vaccine as the conspiracy theory is pointing out that many are dying after being injected with the vaccine saying this wind of change will scatter to all African countries.
Speaking during a Utopian public lecture to millions of Africans, Jumah called upon African governments and leaders to tell their people the truth saying South Africa, Malawi and Namibia announced to their citizens that the covid-19 vaccine will never be a force but by choice, however, things have changed to mandatory.
Jumah said it is sad to note that there is a green passport prepared for those who have received the vaccine to enter shops, markets, work, and traveling from one country to another saying this has raised question marks on why are African governments accepting conditions that are not favorable to Africans including lockdown.
He said he is appreciating President Dr. Chakwera’s courage of standing up telling the world that the time to be watching is gone, saying Africans need leaders to stand the test of time to read conditions or situations that somehow, somewhere, Africa is being tricked of Covid-19 vaccines, a million people have died with Covid-19, why pharmaceutical companies are restricting Africa to manufacture own vaccines.
The Philosopher said 1.4 billion people in Africa need to be reached with Covid-19 vaccines but this cannot come only from Europe, America, and China, the pandemic has already blocked Africa’s economy and there are reports that it will take five years to go away saying this will make Africa be nothing, appealing to African leaders to join hands in establishing Covid-19 laboratory manufacturing companies in South Africa and Nairobi, Kenya.
“Africans survive by toiling for their survival, SADC has a Charter, free movement of goods, goods cannot move without people, free movement should not be for goods only but people, they need to have one passport and free visas,” said Jumah.
Jumah said the UN has dominated global affairs from politics, development, food distribution, Africa is listening to it on Covid-19 rules through International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank saying there’s a great need for Africa to establish African Monetary Fund to deal with African problems.
He said China was not recognized to have a permanent seat at the UN but because of standing alone away from outside foreign influences, it forced the UN to consider giving China a permanent seat to speak through an interpreter at the UN Security Council beside refusing to speak English saying President Dr. Chakwera is advocating for Africa to have a permanent seat in the UN.
