The Democratic Alliance says its written to Finance Minister, Tito Mboweni, imploring him to scrap the R10-billion bailout allocated to SAA in the second adjustment budget passed by Parliament in early December.
The DA wants this funding diverted to procuring COVID-19 vaccines instead.
The official opposition says it also wants Parliament’s Appropriations Committee to hold urgent virtual public hearings on whether South Africans want the SAA bailout to be re-allocated to mass vaccination against COVID-19.
The DA estimates that R10-billion could buy as many as 23-million vaccines, which would cover nearly 40% of South Africa’s estimated 58-million strong population.
Just over R220-million has reportedly been spent so far on procuring a COVID-19 vaccine for South Africa, and the first vaccinations are only expected to take place in early to mid-2021.
