The rule will apply to MTN’s businesses across all of its 17 African markets from the start of January, the company said.
The group said that staff members who are not exempt from vaccination but still refuse vaccination will have their employment contracts terminated.
Chairman and CEO Ralph Mupita (pictured) said: “The science is clear. Vaccination against Covid-19 reduces rates of serious infections, hospitalisations and deaths. As an employer, we have a responsibility to ensure that our workplaces are guided by the highest health and safety standards, and this informed our decision to make the Covid-19 vaccination mandatory for our staff.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only five African countries will have vaccinated more than 40% of their population by the end of 2021.
Mupita said: “Our new Covid-19 policy recognises that some of our markets do not have adequate access to vaccines. It also recogniss some low-risk roles that will be accommodated with full-time work from home or alternative arrangements, but it will be a small population within our workforce.”
MTN said its new vaccine policy is a measure to meet its legal obligations with respect to providing a safe workplace, according to the Ecofin news agency. The rule will be subject to risk assessment as well as local laws that apply to the workplace.
The company said it recognises the right of employees to request exemption from the policy or to refuse vaccination on certain clearly defined grounds.
