Secunda workers get legal advice from Cape Town advocate and activist

Mr Sabelo Sibanda, an advocate from Cape Town, and Ms Debbie Els, activist for human rights, visited Secunda last week and consulted employees who felt they had no choice in the workplace when it comes to the Covid-19 vaccination.

Ms Els said they are pro-choice and it is every person’s right to decide whether they want to get vaccinated or not.

Mr Sibanda said he is ready to fight for the people’s rights and according to the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, each person has an individual right to choose not to have any medical or scientific experiment done on them.

“Every individual has a right to say no and to decide what goes into your body and what not,” said Mr Sibanda.

He urged all employees facing employers who want to enforce them to get the vaccine, to familiarise themselves with the Constitution and the Health Act.

“They will then see a full breakdown of rights which will enable them to make decisions on what is in their interest and what not.

“People are being threatened to go for the vaccine, it is illegal to threaten people.

“Others are promised that they will get a promotion at work if they go for the vaccine.”

If somebody is employed by a company or entity, it does not mean that company or entity has a right over a person’s life.

“Your bodily right has nothing to do with your employer as long as you are healthy and able to perform your duties.

“Employers who are exercising pressure on workers to take the vaccine, are violating their right of psychological integrity.”

Mr Sibanda noticed that employees are under tremendous pressure because of the vaccine and find themselves in situations where they worry about losing their jobs and not being able to provide for their families.

He informed employees about the Nuremberg Code that was established in 1947 for medical practice and said managers who violate their employees’ human rights can be charged as accomplices for crimes against humanity if something goes wrong with people who were pressured to get vaccinated.

Ms Els encouraged workers to take legal documents to their employers if they pressure them to take the vaccine.

“Whatever you do, do not resign. Let your employers go through the process,” said Ms Els.

“If you need chemo therapy, it is your right to take it or to refuse it, not your employer’s right.

“You do have a choice and you can win, if you stand together and fight for your rights.”

She and Mr Sibanda informed employers during consultation sessions that the vaccine is not yet licensed as a vaccine and long term studies have not been done yet.

Pharmaceutical companies exempted themselves from any responsibilities if something goes wrong.

“They are experimenting with people,” said Ms Els.

Mr Sibanda used the country, Gibraltar, a British overseas territory and headland on Spain’s south coast as an example and said the entire adult population was vaccinated, but the Covid-19 positive rate is increasing.

“What is the vaccination helping for then and what are we dealing with then?

“Maybe we should learn lessons from this small country,” said Mr Sibanda.

He advised all companies who take the approach of pressuring their employees to get vaccinated, to seek legal advice, as they can run the risk of liability.

“The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) said vaccinated and unvaccinated people are equal spreaders of Covid-19, so they are contradicting themselves,” said Ms Els.