Ekurhuleni mayor backtracks, after saying he could get ‘coronavirus cure’

Mzwandile Masina hasn’t won too many people over this weekend, despite promising to deliver a cure for coronavirus to the people of Ekurhuleni. The executive mayor has been berated by politicians, fact-checkers and the general public for claiming that he would use drugs from Cuba to fight the disease.

Ekurhuleni mayor slammed for ‘coronavirus cure’ claims

Solly Msimanga – a political heavyweight and DA representative in Gauteng – blasted the mayor in a statement issued earlier on Monday, calling him irresponsible for promising something ‘he could not deliver’:

“The Ekurhuleni Mayor, Mzwandile Masina, has misled the residents of Ekurhuleni about procuring a vaccine for Covid-19 from Cuba. Mayor Masina made an announcement during his State of the City Address that he would use emergency funding to procure the vaccine ‘Inferon B’ from Cuba to help fight coronavirus.”

“No proper research was conducted before the Mayor made his announcement. Mayor Masina was irresponsible in his pronouncement and gave false hope to the residents while the nation is in crisis. Sadly, Masina has yet to withdraw his statement.”

Solly Msimanga

Mzwandile Masina busted by fact-checkers

His claims raised more than a few eyebrows, not least at the offices of AfricaCheck: The mythbusting fact-finders were ruthless in their dismantling of Masina’s wild promises:

“At a briefing the day after Masina’s city address, South Africa’s Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma — a medical doctor — confirmed that there is no vaccine for the new coronavirus virus. In fact, there is no evidence that interferons work to treat COVID-19.” 

“She concluded: ‘We are looking at maybe 18 months before we can say we have a vaccine so there is no vaccine.’ – Masina was confusing interferon-alfa-2B, for which there was also no proof as treatment for COVID-19, with a new coronavirus vaccine.”

AfricaCheck

Ekurhuleni latest – Masina hits back over coronavirus confusion

But, never willing to go down without a fight, Mzwandile Masina stuck to his guns on Sunday. He slammed AfricaCheck – and his critics in general – for trying to project him as a ‘brainless fool’. The mayor states that he was misquoted, and was only musing options which could be used in the future.

“You are so desperate now that you see your useless article is not finding traction you now tag me. Fact is my speech was forward looking hence I spoke of any vaccine, medicine and drug but you chose to stop with vaccine to rubbish me.”

“Trump wants to use chloroquine and redemsivir drugs for COVID-19 and Masina wants us to use Interferon alpha-2b and other interferons for COVID-19. You decide to be loudmouth and project me as brainless fool. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Mzwandile Masina

Toilet looting Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina is at it again. The vaccine he wanted to import for coronavirus does not even exist. The one he referred to is actually registered in South Africa for skin cancer. This man is a disgrace.

— Goolam (@goolammv) March 27, 2020