Zizojika izinto ngemigomo e-Afrika ngenxa yesivumelwano esiqeda ukuthembela emazweni athuthukile. USLINDILE KHANYILE uyabika
I-AFRIKA ithembele kwamanye amazwe ukuze ithole imigomo njengoba ithenga u-99% wemigomo yawo kwezinye izindawo ekubeni iyizwekazi elinabantu abaningi abanezifo ezidinga ukugonyelwa.
Lesi simo senze ukuthi uma kuhlasela iCOVID-19 i-Afrika yazithola itabalasa ukuthola umgomo walesi sifo masinyane ngoba amazwe ethenga kuwo aqome ukugxila kubantu bawo kuqala. Nokho lesi simo sesizoshintsha ngenxa yesivumelwano esisayinwe yi-Aspen Pharmacare neJohnson & Johnson. Lesi sikhondlakhondla senkampani ekhiqiza imithi saseNingizimu Afrika sisayine isivumelwano esisigunyaza ukuthi sikhiqize umgomo wonke ophelele weCOVID-19 futhi siwusabalalise e-Afrika yonke.
Ngokwalesi sivumelwano, i-Aspen izokhiqiza lo mgomo i-Aspenovax futhi izoba wumnikazi wawo ngokupheleleyo kuze kube sekupheleni kuka-2026.
UMnu uStavros Nicolaou, i-senior executive: Strategic Trade e-Aspen, uthe bekuyinto engazwakali futhi ehlehlisela i-Afrika emuva ukuthi ithembele kwabanye abantu ukuthola imigomo ekubeni kuyilona zwekazi elinabantu abagula kakhulu kodwa futhi lapho nesibalo sabangagomile siphezulu.
“Enye into eyenza loku yizinhlangano ezinikelayo (ebezingaqondile okubi) kodwa zithenga (imithi) e-India nase-Europe ziyilethe lapha, nokusho ukuthi awukhiqizi kangako kuleli zwekazi ukuze ngelinye ilanga uma kuhlasela ubhubane olukhulu kwelake labonakala, i-Afrika ihlehliselwa eceleni. Lezo zinkampani ebezizokudayisela e-India nakwezinye izindawo ziqala ngezakhamuzi zazo. Ngesikhathi usalindile ushonelwa yizinkungulwane zabantu e-Afrika.
“I-Afrika ithole umgomo owu-5% noma ngaphansana kwaloko weCOVID-19. Uma singazikhiqizeli thina, ngeke sishintshe leso simo, siyohlale sithembele ekuthengeni kwabanye abantu okungenzeka bavume noma bangavumi ukusidayisela. Lesi sivumelwano sizoshintsha izinto kakhulu ezwekazini lethu,” kusho yena.
I-Aspen inendawo ekhiqizela kuyona eGqeberha, eMpumalanga Kapa. Yamemezela ukuthi izotshala uR3.3 billion ukunweba le ndawo ngo-2018, okwumsebenzi osuphelile.
Kusukela iCOVID-19 ibhedukile, le nkampani ibikhiqiza umgomo walesi sifo ikhiqizela iJohnson&Johnson, ebingabanikazi bomgomo futhi okuyiyona ebinquma inani nokuthi umgomo uzosabalaliswa kanjani.
Kepha lesi sivumelwano esisha sisho ukuthi i-Aspen yiyona esizonquma inani lomgomo kanjalo nokuthi usatshalaliswa kanjani.
U-Nicoalou uthe okwamanje bakwazi ukukhiqiza umgomo owu-300 million ngonyaka kanti lesi sibalo sizonyuka sifinyelele ku-450m ngo-2022, kuthi ngo-2023 sibe wu-700m.
Uthe umkhiqizo wonke uzokwenziwa eGgeberha kodwa basazobheka ukuthi ngeke yini babenezivumelwano zokuwusabalalisa nabanye abantu e-Afrika.
Nakuba besazogxila ekukhiqizeni umgomo weCOVID-19 kodwa uNicolaou uthe bazobe benza namalungiselelo okwethula eminye imigomo neminye imithi.
Uthe ngaphandle kweMelika, i-Aspen yiyona nkampani edayisela umhlaba wonke umjovo “okulaliswa” ngawo umuntu uma ezohlinzwa, phecelezi i-general anaesthetic, omningi kunazo zonke ezinye izinkampani ezikhiqiza imithi.
Ephawula ngalesi sivumelwano, uMengameli uCyril Ramaphosa uthe: “Lesi simemezelo phakathi kwe-Aspen Pharmacare yase-Afrika neJohnson &Johnson singenxa yokuzikhandla okuthathe izinyanga (ngenxa yabantu) abanjenge-African Union, i-Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ne-African Vaccine Acquisition Trust ukusungula indlela yokukhiqiza ezwenikazi.
“Lesi simemezelo sizofaka isandla ekuxazululeni ukungalingani endleleni okutholakala ngayo umgomo futhi kwenze i-Afrika ikwazi ukubhekana nezidingo zayo zomgomo manje nangomuso,” kusho uRamaphosa.
UMnu uStrive Masiyiwa, inhloko ye-AVAT Trust, noDkt uMatshidiso Moeti, umqondisi wophiko lwase-Afrika kwiWorld Health Organization, nabo bahambe emazwini kaRamaphosa, bathi lesi sivumelwano sizonika i-Afrika amandla okuzikhiqizela umgomo futhi kugwemeke ukungalingani endleleni umgomo otholakala ngayo, nokugqame ngenkathi kuhlasela iCOVID-19 kwafanele ukuthi i-Afrika izibonele.
