The South African Union of Students (SAUS) is expecting students and university management to be caught in intense discussions over the mandatory vaccine policy at the start of the next academic year, said SAUS president, Yandisa Ndzoyiya, during a joint meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Innovation and the Portfolio Committee on Police on Friday.
This follows the announcements made by various universities across South Africa to make Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory, and as such, students who fail to get vaccinated against Covid-19 will not be allowed to register for courses and may be deregistered. The tough stance by universities renders unvaccinated students uncatered for, though some institutions might offer exemptions on medical or religious grounds.
Statistics from Higher Health, a unit within the department of higher education, reveals that 400,000 of the 2.1-million students in the higher education sector are either partially or fully vaccinated.
The South African Union of Students (SAUS) and Nehawu have rejected the mandatory vaccine policy.
SAUS president Yandisa Ndzoyiya said the union will engage institutions to do away with the policy, however urges students to get vaccinated.
“We encourage all students to vaccinate and we want to encourage all institutions to run vaccine campaigns and to introduce incentives,” Ndzoyiya said.
Nehawu spokesperson Lwazi Nkolonzi said they supported the vaccination programme, but not at the expense of peoples’ constitutional rights.
“Universities are not exempt from respecting the constitution and as such cannot force our members and workers to vaccinate,” Nkolonzi said.
One of the latest universities who have made Covid-19 vaccination drive manadatory for students to get the jab is the University of Johannesburg, followed by the University of the Free State which will only allow the vaccinated on its campuses in 2022.
The University of the Free State will restrict its campus to those who are vaccinated or have been provided with an exemption.
Vice-chancellor of The University of the Free State, Prof. Francis Petersen, said “the institution has the right to require vaccination if you want to access the institution’s premises, in order to protect our staff and students”.
The South African Union of Students (SAUS) expects students and university management to have a break down of relations, and weighed concerns that protests of this nature turn violent when the police get involved, especially in moments where student leaders feel university management does not engage with them.
Sources: News 24, Daily Maverick
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