Zim Governemt Releases Extra $40million For C-19 Vaccines

By Shingirai Vambe

Zimbabwe government has released another USD $40 million dollars for Covid-19 vaccines before the arrival of another consignment of 12 million jabs, paid USD $92 million dollars last month.

The release of the recent fund brings the total amount of money for covid-19 vaccines to USD $140 million, ministry of finance and economic development, George Guvamatanga confirmed the development.

Earlier this week, this publication established shocking prices of the lifesaving commodity against the novel corona virus and Sinopharm is the only expensive vaccine on the list costing USD $32 per dose.

Guvamatanga explained how the initial USD $100 million was used, which includes shipments and joining fees like that of the African Union vaccine facility which the country is said to have paid USD $7.5 million dollars.

The procurement of the vaccine has raised a lot of dust with confirmed reports by the Auditor General on the abuse of public funds.

Government has remained adamant to revealing the prices and costs of vaccines to be in Zimbabwe as Finance public relation officer, Clive Mphambela earlier said the vaccine suppliers have very strict confidential clauses which prohibit the divulging of any information on vaccines including cost and pricing.

Through Parliament the prices were made public and the cheapest being Johnson and Johnson going for USD $10 and Sputnik costing the same price.

Nonetheless A consignment of almost 2 million doses is expected in the country this week.

Norton Legislator, Themba Mliswa told Post On Sunday that there should be accountability to all the disbursed funds towards covid-19.

“It’s very unfortunate that we have captured institutions, including parliament, legislators are whipped and those from the opposition are not doing anything as highlighted in their manifesto about corruption”

“We as legislators, we never received any condonation from the government or treasury to that effect, public funds are being used willy nilly” he said.

Meanwhile the case of the former minister of health which implicated Delish Nguwaya on the abuse of Covid-19 funds is still far away near trial with assertions by Mliswa that he (Nguwaya) has captured the Prosecutor General and the Courts.