​​Thembisa Shologu
Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi has pleaded with all those in the education sector to take the opportunity to get vaccinated for COVID-19 to minimise the spread of the pandemic. 
Lesufi said the COVID-19 vaccination was crucial in returning Gauteng schools to normalcy as the province battles the third wave. 
The vaccination programme in Gauteng is aimed at inoculating approximately 125 934 employees, starting from 23 June until 8 July 2021 at 46 vaccination sites in all regions across the province.
"As the Gauteng Department of Education, we believe that this vaccination drive will effectively begin the process of normalising schooling and mitigating the disruptive impact of COVID-19 in our schools.
"We are targeting more than 125 000 staff members of those almost 71 000 are educators. We have incorporated everyone in the education sector.
Speaking at the Rabasotho Community Hall in Tembisa after receiving his jab, MEC Lesufi said teachers gave birth to all professions and without educators there would not be any other profession.
"So, we need to protect them. They are taking care of our precious cargo, our children and if we check the increasing numbers in our schools, you will see that it is very important to protect or educators," said MEC Lesufi.
District officials have scheduled and mapped each of the school to the closest vaccination sites.
Also, in attendance for the first day of vaccination in Tembisa was the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga. 
Minister Motshekga said: "We need two weeks because we do not want to disrupt schooling and when we close on July 8, we want to be done. This is to ensure that when we come back for schooling during the next term, we are done with vaccination that is why we put ourselves in so much pressure."