In a controversial incident where a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination allegedly led to the death of a South African national in March, the government is now at ease following a lawsuit backtracking from the deceased’s family.

Around March, a SA national Bongani Mbongani was hospitalised in Botswana after reacting to a COVID-19 booster jab at one of the ports of entry. After taking the then compulsory vaccine, Mbongani complained of an intense headache when he fainted and later died at the hospital.

This week the government revealed that the family, which initially threatened to sue over the son’s untimely death, has stopped the legal action against the government.

Acting Director of Health Service, Dr Pamela Smith-Lawrence disclosed during a press conference this week that indeed there was such a case lodged against the Ministry of Health.

“We have engaged through the lawyers of the resultant affected family. We had a back and forth and we have responded as the Ministry of Health through our advisors being the Attorney General. So far nothing has become of the case from the complainant’s end,” she further said. Smith-Lawrence revealed that the complainants have not taken the case further than where they left it off. She said as the ministry they had done due diligence to respond to the allegations that were put before them. The family of Mbongani wanted the court to compel government to bear repatriation of the body and funeral costs. The family also demanded the government to provide monetary care and support because Bongani was their breadwinner.

They wanted the government to bear costs of caring for Bongani’s clinically-depressed brother, Thokozani, whom Bongani cared for, child maintenance and support for Bongani’s child as well as payment of school fees for Bongani’s son up to university level.

In an affidavit filed in court in March, the devastated mother of the deceased, Lucia Mbongani, asked the court to instruct the government to present medical forms filled before her son’s vaccination and vital readings before the vaccination was administered.

The information she wanted divulged to the family included “proof of type, date of manufactory and expiry date of the vaccine, names of the medical officer, date, time and condition of her son when he arrived at the Princess Marina Hospital and later Gaborone Private Hospital (GPH) where he died, as well as radiology images at both hospitals.” The government later asked the family to provide all medical documents of the deceased since birth. Following the incident, the government stopped the mandatory vaccine.