14 Apr 2021

The Office of the President (OP) says contrary to media statements attributed to the Business Botswana leadership, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi is not opposed to the procurement of COVID-19 vaccine by the private sector.

“As a matter of fact, and as evidenced by minutes of the Presidential COVID-19 Task Force meetings chaired by His Excellency the President, and in which the President of Business Botswana, Mr Gobusamang Keebine is a member, the private sector has never raised the issue at such meetings,” OP says in a news release.

It further points out that the private sector is included in the vaccine deployment plan through its membership of the National Vaccine Committee.

President Masisi, states the release, has established  a COVID-19 vaccine public and private partnership, co-chaired by the private sector.

The objective of the partnership is to jointly develop a national implementation strategy on  vaccine procurement and rollout as well as to advise government on the mutual engagement with any individual or company that may wish to assist, it says.

The release says the partnership structure’s other objectives are to facilitate  logistics, identify national cold chain capacity and distribution of vaccines. 

In addition, it identifies other strategic partners to support the procurement of and deployment of vaccines across the sectors, explains the release.

The release further says the partnership structure will identify and mobilise resources needed for procurement and management of COVID-19 vaccines.

Business Botswana, as a representative of the private sector in the presidential COVID-19 task force, is engaged in the partnership deliberations, those of the vaccine committee as well as with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, notes the release.

It explains that all mentioned engagements have not yet been escalated to the task force and therefore, President Masisi, as chairperson, is not yet privy to the outcomes.

“As such, it would be totally false and irresponsible for anyone to claim that President Masisi has taken a position on a matter that has not yet been raised with him within the transparent structures that the President has established to enhance universal consonance on a matter as critically important as procurement of vaccines to save lives,” says the release. Ends