Univen leads pack and implements mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations
University of Venda is the first public institution of higher learning in the province to adopt the mandatory vaccination policy.
LIMPOPO – The Limpopo Department of Health has welcomed the decision made by the management of the University of Venda (Univen) to adopt the mandatory vaccination policy.
This decision to implement mandatory vaccinations was announced by university management following a council meeting on Friday (December 3).
Univen’s director of marketing, branding and communications Dr Takalani Dzaga-APR said as from January 1 no one, student or visitor, will be allowed access to the university campus without proof of being vaccinated.
“The management is committed to implement this council resolution in a manner that will not alienate staff and students and other members of the public.”
He added that as the university they will continue to encourage staff and students as well as other stakeholders to get vaccinated. The university’s vaccination site, which is operated by their Campus Health Clinic, will be available to those eligible.
The health department has lauded the university’s decision saying it will play a key role in protecting the lives of both the students and university personnel.
Departmental spokesperson Neil Shikwambana concluded that the department will continue to work with and support the university to ensure that it runs a seamless vaccination program in line with its policy.
Univen is not the first public institution of higher learning in the country to adopt the policy with the University of Johannesburg, University of Witwatersrand (Wits) and South Africa’s University of Cape Town (UCT), among others having adopted the mandatory vaccination policy.
Meanwhile the South African Union of Students (SAUS) last week issued a notice stating that they are opposed to mandatory vaccinations by institutions of higher learning and will be writing to those that have instituted these mandates, to engage with them on the implications it will have on students and the 2022 academic year.
As Saus we want to firstly encourage all students in all universities to take the vaccination as this is imperative towards ensuring that we sustain the fight against the Covid-19, and that we are able to protect ourselves, fellow students, friends and families.
Saus president Yandisa Ndzoyiya added that the union is however ‘unequivocally opposed’ to mandatory vaccinations saying that students and workers must be afforded their constitutional rights to determine and choose to vaccinate.
“We therefore must uncategorically, denounce and condemn the decision taken by various institutions in making the vaccines mandatory. We believe that this move, will undermine all legitimate efforts towards persuading citizens and in particular students to take up the vaccine. This is due to the fact that, any coercing of students outside intellectual and scientific persuasion, only undermines the science.”
Ndzoyiya continued to state that as the union they do not believe that the universities have exhausted all avenues to engage students and workers towards taking the vaccines.
“Universities, inherently are spaces of debate, science and intellectual discourse, and any coercion, flies in the face of that reality, and is inconsistent with how a university must behave. We must confirm, without fear, favour on any prejudice, that come the beginning of the 2022 academic year, all students will enter their respective campuses, by all necessary means possible,” Ndzoyiya concluded.
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