Acting Health Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has called on all South Africans to give the South African Health Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) space to do its work.

This after the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) tried to persuade SAPHRA to speed up the approval of the Sputnik V and Sinovac vaccines.

SAHPRA says, like other regulators across the world, it concerns itself with safety, quality and efficacy of health products.

In a statement issued by the Heath Department on Friday, Kubayi-Ngubane stated: “Our country’s regulatory system should not be forced to bow down to any amount of political pressure, particularly, to authorize the use of vaccines at a whim without due process being followed. This is dangerous and should not be condoned in democratic South Africa.”

Kubayi-Ngubane added that the targeting of SAHPRA by political parties is unfortunate:

“The regulator has consistently outlined to the public processes that need to be followed before the registration and approval of any vaccines to be used as part of governments efforts in the fight against COVID-19. This cannot be done in the absence of any clear information about the efficacy of products that have not undergone rigorous testing by the regulator.”

Source: TimesLIVE