• Compelling Citizens may lead to desperate individuals faking Vaccination Certificates.
• The resultant effect on citizen’s trust on leadership and Government would be disastrous.
• Government must immediately retract the forcing Strategy by allowing everyone vaccinated or not entry into Government facilities.

A non-governmental organization has urged Government to approach different stakeholders and together mount a massive sensitization campaign on the significance of taking the Covid-19 Vaccine.

OYVC Executive Director Guess Nyirenda said the organizations is of the conviction that the best approach to such challenges is to allow citizens and communities appreciate the problem in this case the pandemic, bringing them on board to finding and owning the solution as such is the only sustainable means.

Mr. Nyirenda is of the view that compelling Citizens is one of the worst strategies as it breeds a lot of apprehension, suspicion and resistance which may lead to desperate individuals faking Vaccination Certificates.

He stated that while the strategy may yield the required threshold of persons to be vaccinated the resultant effect on citizen’s trust on leadership and Government would be disastrous in case of any eventuality caused or not caused by the consumption of the vaccine.

“The Government’s approach to preparing for and ‘fighting’ the anticipated Covid-19 fourth wave Omicron leaves a lot to be desired,” Mr. Nyirenda said.

“This subtle mandatory and compelling strategy to reach certain thresholds is more detrimental and suspicious to members of the general public as opposed to being appreciated as being employed to really deal with the pandemic as it were.”

He pointed out added that government must immediately retract the forcing Strategy by allowing everyone vaccinated or not entry into the Public or Government facilities.

“We take great exception in the approach taken of seemingly forcing citizens with threats even in respect of the derogation of Human Rights as provided for in the Republican Constitution,” he said.