Manufacturing vaccines in SA would make them cheaper: Motsepe

The issue of manufacturing vaccines for COVID-19 dominated the fourth session of the Pan African Parliament in Midrand on Monday.

During the opening session, Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo called on Africans to be more self-reliant, if they wanted to see development on the continent.

Those who attended the session also supported the call by South Africa and India for a Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights waiver.

Businesswoman Bridgette Motsepe says manufacturing vaccines in South Africa would make them cheaper.

“What we need to do is to start manufacturing our own products, our own vaccines and our own COVID related products, because the importation of the ownership of the formulas that make the vaccine must stop,” says Motsepe.

Motsepe appealed to the business sector to ensure the manufacturing of more products in African.

“So we are now appealing as the business sector to ensure the manufacturer of the vaccines and other products that are drug-related and we must not undermine the expertise that we have, Motsepe said.