TRADITIONAL LEADERS LEAD BY EXAMPLE

By Masilo Malakwane

QWAQWA – Leading by example when 35–49-year-olds Covid-19 vaccination, the royal chiefs of the Bakoena and Batlokwa tribe Moremoholo Motebang Mopeli and Montoeli Mota were the first to be given the covid-19 jab by Health officials, at Thekolohelong Old Age Home in Phuthaditjhaba, on Monday July 19.

The two traditional leaders were joined by the Council Speaker Tumelo Thebe to become part of the middle-aged people in the Maluti a Phofung local municipality to be given the Pfizer Covid-19 inoculation as part of Health Department mass vaccination rollout programme. Moremoholo Mopeli, who turned 37 earlier this year said the jab he received in the chilly Monday, July 19, 2021, at about 09:23 was the right thing to do and reassure others to follow suit.

“Today I feel so privileged to get my jab because the start of walking the talk to fight the coronavirus pandemic starts here,”. He also advised residents of MAP if offered the vaccine to take it. “If I can have it as young looking as I am, then you can have it too,” he added.

Chief Montoeli Mota, said getting vaccinated was “good for you and good for the people we are leading within our respective districts. It will also help protect the entire country”.

Municipal Speaker Tumelo Thebe said: “Today we should all allow ourselves a time to get vaccinated but we must not drop our guard.” Speaker further stressed the danger of relying on the existing myths on social media about vaccine “our people should be on the lookout for misleading information from non-health professionals about the vaccine, because that on its own slower the rollout as such messages discourage our people to get vaccinate”.

The Pfizer vaccine have been secured by the government to be administered in the coming weeks for rollout programme of people between the age group of 35-49 although vaccination is not compulsory.

On Monday 19 July. 2021, South Africa has recorded 11 215 new coronavirus infections in the past 24-hour cycle, taking the total number of cases to 2 295 095. The national death toll related to covid-19 illness now stands at 66 859 after 183 have succumbed to the virus.

South Africans over 35 years old are now eligible for a vaccine and the hope is to inoculate as many people as possible and reach the health landmark figure of at least inoculating millions of residents.