Namibia’s Attorney GeneralFestus Mbandeka says Businesses in the country reserve the right to enforce mandatory vaccination against Covid-19, provided they can substantiate their decision in line with the provisions of the Labour law.
The attorney general, who yesterday responded to a question on the matter at a Covid-19 briefing, said employers may opt to use a provision of the labour law stating they must provide employees and customers a safe and healthy environment.
He said the labour law also requires of employees to protect others they come in contact with in line with their work.
If it is found that some of these requirements are reasonable and necessary, they may not be found to be unconstitutional, Mbandeka said.
“I think there could be good grounds for doing so in order to minimise the risk of infection,” he said.
He said the reason for introducing additional measures is to encourage vaccination, since uptake is still low.
Mbandeka said the country is dealing with a pandemic that is not only affecting the rights of individuals, but in which individuals are posing risks to others.
However, many have questioned the issue of posing risk to the vaccinated few who are suppose to feel a sense of protection after inoculation but the reverse is the case.
The Attorney Generaladded”The Constitution allows fundamental freedoms we enjoy as people, however, those freedoms are subject to certain restrictions that are reasonable in terms of the law,” he said.
President Hage Geingob had said while individuals have rights, those rights stop where another’s rights begin. A statement that can be viewed as leading to more conflict or rather creating a line between the vaccinated and unvaccinated in the country.
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