Africa-Press – Lesotho. THE announcement by the government of Lesotho that it will begin implementing a mandatory vaccination programme for all civil servants did not come as a surprise to us.
We are living in extraordinary times that now require extra-ordinary measures. With effect from January 2, 2022 all civil servants will be required to provide evidence to their human resources departments that they have vaccinated.
Those who have not been vaccinated will not be allowed access to government offices. Any officer who fails to comply with the vaccination directive would be deemed to have committed an act of misconduct that could lead to a disciplinary hearing or dismissal from work.
We are not surprised that Lesotho has taken this position on vaccinations. A surge in Covid-19 positive cases, spurred on by the Omicron variant, might have spooked the government to take this drastic measure amid reluctance by sections of society to take up the vaccines.
To protect all civil servants and ensure government business is not brought to a halt, Lesotho is now pushing for vaccine mandates for all civil servants.
The decision is likely to be challenged in the courts of law by individuals and groups who might feel it violates the basic rights of Basotho, the right to patient autonomy and bodily integrity.
These are basic rights protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and under normal circumstances we would be persuaded to agree with the request.
Civil society groups have already started making some noises around the issue of “forced” vaccinations. But even when the matter of vaccination is taken up to the courts, we think the government was on firm ground when it called for mandatory vaccinations.
In the Czech Republic, for instance, all children must undergo mandatory vaccination for several diseases. Parents can be fined and the children could be barred from attending pre-schools.
When this vaccination mandate was challenged, the courts ruled that while the policy might violate the right to private life, such interference could be justifiable in a democratic society.
The Czech government argued that such a policy is necessary to protect the health of the entire population. Our courts in Lesotho are likely to take a cue from such legal precedents and rule that vaccination mandates could be perfectly legal if their intention is designed for the greater good.
We agree. In fact, we are of the strong opinion that a robust vaccination programme could provide the only way out of the pandemic. Having tried the persuasion route without much success, we think time has now come for governments to start considering mandatory vaccination programmes for its own people.
The directive by the Ministry of Health leaves no room for exceptions. It would appear that the government wants every civil servant to take up the vaccine.
That will likely trigger howls of protest from some civil servants but we believe this will ultimately work for the greater good. This of course is not the first time that some countries, including Lesotho, have come up with compulsory vaccination programmes.
We have always had vaccination programmes to protect against childhood diseases. The government will, however, need to go on a charm offensive to convince the reluctant majority to take up vaccines. That is the only way out for Lesotho.
For More News And Analysis About Lesotho Follow Africa-Press
