S. African students congress calls for science-based approach to trace origins of COVID-19

JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- South African students on Tuesday called for science-based COVID-19 origins tracing without targeting other countries.

The South African Students Congress (SASCO), which represents students and schools, slammed the manner in which the COVID-19 origins tracing has been conducted.

"We call upon the international community to look at the origins-tracing matters in a science-based, objective and fair manner, and we oppose politicizing the origins-tracing of the virus. We also support global anti-pandemic cooperation," said SASCO President Bamanye Matiwane.

He said COVID-19 has killed many people and affected livelihoods across the globe and should not be subjected to unscientific assessments.

They recognize the China-WHO joint study report on COVID-19 origins-tracing, which clearly concluded that a lab leak of COVID-19 is "extremely unlikely," he said.

"The attack on China propagated by the U.S. is unwarranted and significantly undermines the efforts of many men and women, who are out there working day and night to ensure that we get the real origins of the virus," he said.

He said the international community should refuse to be used by the United States in its political games.