Marko Shoko, a prominent human rights monitor from Public Information Rights Forum (PIRF) has delivered a petition to the Parliament of Zimbabwe in which he is demanding a stop to forced vaccination of Chinese vaccination against Covid-19.

Shoko who is a human rights activist wants workplaces to stop demanding vaccination certificates from workers. He says that forced vaccination is a violation of Section 35 of the Public Health Act which says that a person must consent to a health service treatment he is subjected to.

Shoko delivered the petition addressed to the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda and dated 29 July 2021 to the Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda on 29 July 2021.

Chokuda confirmed receipt of the petition and said he was going to look into it.

President Emerson Mnangagwa and several of his senior Government officials have for some time now been making threats against those who don’t want to be vaccinated including that they will not get employed, they will not be allowed on public transport or their will not sell their farm produce to the Grain Marketing Board.

Shoko told The Mirror in an interview that demanding of Covid-19 vaccination certificates was violation of human rights and should be treated just like any other disease where one would produce his/ her health history at his or her own consent not to be forced.

Mlondolozi Ndhlovu a human Rights defender said it was inhuman for companies to force its employees to get vaccinated.

The Government is currently on a campaign to ensure that as many citizens as possible are vaccinated against Covid-19. The target to be achieved by December this year is 10 million and so far there are 798 880 who have received both Covid19 vaccination while a total of 1 67 470 have received the first jab.

The Government is using the Covid vaccine from China for the program and according to the Minister of Finance the country has spent US$93m in procuring the vaccine.

“Section 35 of the Public Health Act provides that no health service /treatment shall be provided to a person without consent. For the cause to be valid it must be voluntary and informed and the person consenting must have the capacity to make the decision. Such voluntary and informed consent is or refused to consent to a particular health service or treatment must be respected,” reads the petition.

On 21 July Telone released a statement to its employees stating that it was going to withdraw Covid allowance to all unvaccinated staff and all the unvaccinated staff were placed on leave.

-Masvingo Mirror