Ruckus over Wits’ mandatory vaccine rule

The institution is the latest in a growing list of businesses and organisations clamping down on unvaccinated people.

The Wits senior executive team said the institution is a contact teaching university and the mandatory vaccination of staff and students would enable “optimal access, the holistic delivery of the teaching and learning programme, and research to continue”.

Those who refuse to be vaccinated will have to take weekly Covid tests, which they will have to pay for themselves.

SRC spokesperson Nhlonipho Nxumalo said: “The framework imposes mandatory vaccination to the poor and the working class as they are required to pay for the Sars-CoV-2 test on a weekly basis and failure to so will result in the individual not having access to the premises.

“Students and staff members who do not have the capital to pay these weekly tests will miss activities they must perform or have to undergo the vaccination against their will.”

Public health lawyer and researcher Safura Abdool-Karim said the fact students were being given a choice made the policy compliant with constitutional rights.

“This policy is designed to reduce the risk of infection and is not about targeting particular people or discriminating against people on the basis of their income, for example.

“The vaccines are free, effective and safe and Wits has gone through some trouble to arrange modes of transport to take people to get vaccinated. What that means is students can choose to either get vaccinated and stay safe by reducing the rate of infecting others, or they can pay for the test,” she said.

Abdool-Karim said students could consider learning at other institutions if they did not want to get vaccinated or pay for the Covid test.

“If they can’t afford to take the test, they need to get vaccinated or consider another institution that allows remote learning because there are universities like Unisa that allow entirely for remote classes.

“But this vaccination policy is part of measures to try get the university to go back to normal,” she said.

“A mandatory vaccination policy protects the health and safety of the university community and members of the public.

“All staff and students, including applicants for study or employment, as well as visitors and service providers, will be required to be vaccinated against Covid before accessing campus,” said a statement signed by Wits spokesperson Shirona Patel.

Patel added staff and students will be required to produce their digital vaccine passport or vaccination cards, which will be linked to their access cards to enable them to enter Wits’ premises.

“Students who elect not to be vaccinated on constitutional grounds will be required to undertake daily health screening prior to being allowed entry to campus, buy and always wear an N95 mask, including in lectures, laboratories, during tutorials, and/or during assessments, and on buses and undertake weekly testing, at their own cost, for Sars-CoV-2 infection, irrespective of whether they have Covid symptoms or not,” Patel said.

Wits medical student Sicelo Kubheka did not oppose the proposal by the institution.

“I support this. We are all tired of wearing masks and want to get back to normality so this is one way that will take us in that direction. If you don’t vaccinate you will be susceptible and are at high risk of spreading the virus,” he said.

– asandam@citizen.co.za