MTN Could Fire Staff That Don’t Comply With Vaccination Mandate

MTN Group Ltd. plans to make the use of vaccines mandatory and is prepared to fire employees that do not comply, the South African company said Monday. 

Africa’s largest wireless carrier will start implementing the policy from January, it said in a statement. Johannesburg-based MTN is the biggest company yet to state it would terminate employment contracts for non-compliance by workers.

“We have a responsibility to ensure that our workplaces are guided by the highest standards of health and safety, and that has informed our decision to make Covid-19 vaccination mandatory for our staff,” said MTN Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita. Africa has the lowest number of vaccinated people partly due to access and vaccine hesitancy.

In South Africa, the continent’s most developed economy, only about 43% of the adult population is inoculated.

The low-rate of vaccinations has seen some companies including Standard Bank Group Ltd. and Discovery Ltd. also move toward stricter policies. MTN said it recognizes the right of employees to apply to be exempted from the policy or refuse vaccination on certain grounds.