The story: The national Department of Health has failed to ensure it engaged early and timeously with vaccine makers resulting in a delayed arrival of vaccines in the country, an analysis of key events show.
What the facts show: Despite claiming to have been in talks with pharmaceutical companies for "six months" government only started confirming deals with manufacturers in January - in the face of a groundswell of criticism.
A closer look: News24's analysis shows that instead of providing clear answers, government has obfuscated by providing reassurances with no detail and have either ignored questions seeking clarity or have spoken in vague, contradictory and potentially misleading terms. As a result, and after missing payment deadlines, repeated refusals to provide detail or clarity over discussions with Covid-19 vaccine makers, South Africa is yet to announce the arrival of a single dose on its shores.
