Intervarsity news from issue 1, PDBY’s 2022 First Year Edition. This compilation covers the vaccination policies of various South African tertiary institutions.
University of Cape Town (UCT)
UCT became the first tertiary institution to have its vaccine policy approved by its Council. The university’s vaccine mandate requires students and staff to present proof of vaccination with one of the approved COVID-19 vaccines. Alternatively they can present proof of valid exemption. Exemption is granted on the basis of religious, medical and conscience grounds. UCT’s policy asserts that it will formulate two different Vaccination Exemptions Panels and Vaccination Appeals Panels (VAP), each processing exemptions based on religion, conscience, and medical reasons.
Exempted students are required to present a weekly negative COVID-19 test and will not be permitted to occupy UCT residences. UCT’s policy states that in the event the university is unable to reasonably accommodate its unvaccinated employees leading to the employee being incapable of carrying out their contracted duties, said employee will be subjected to termination of employment. The policy is expected to become effective from 1 March 2022. The University of Stellenbosch, University of Free State (UFS,) and University of Venda are some of the other institutions to adopt a similar vaccine policy framework as UCT.
University of Witwatersrand (Wits)
As per Wits’ mandatory vaccination policy, all members of the university community are expected to provide evidence of vaccination. After verification, the information is linked to each member’s respective ICAM profile which facilitates access to the university. Visitors are expected to produce a physical copy of the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) certificate in order to confirm their vaccination status before being allowed entry onto university property. The effective date of the policy was 1 January 2022.
University of Johannesburg (UJ)
UJ’s vaccination policy requires students to provide digital vaccination cards to authorised university personnel in order to verify the status of their vaccination. After the confirmation of the vaccination status has been undertaken, students and staff will have their access cards activated for campus access.
Furthermore, the policy allows UJ employees to undertake vaccination during working hours, with sick leave granted to any individual facing side effects from the administration of the vaccination. Those who are exempt from vaccination by UJ’s Committee: Mandatory Vaccination, are expected to undertake SARS-CoV-2 testing every week at their own cost. They “will not have access to activities in common spaces where social engagements occur, will not be provided with accommodation in any university-owned residence and will only be permitted to attend graduation ceremonies online”. UJ’s vaccination policy was approved by the council on 25 November 2021.
University of Western Cape (UWC)
UWC’s core vaccine policy statement stipulates their vaccine principle to be that of a “soft mandate” whereby “students will generally be allowed to register irrespective of being vaccinated or not, subject to where a hard mandate is approved by Senate for certain modules and where the rendering of a service to the public on a medical platform forms part of the module”. The policy further states that students will not be able to register for a degree that incorporates some form of service in medical facilities or incorporates a form of public learning service. The faculties of dentistry, medicine, and School of Pharmacy at UWC are all subjected to a hard mandate. If students falling under this hard mandate rule have been partially vaccinated, UWC allows these students to register with the condition that they present proof of their first dose and undertake their second dose before 1 March2022. Failure to comply with this date allows the university to deregister the student.
In terms of vaccination leave, UWC grants three hour leave to attend a vaccination site and have the vaccine administered to them. In order to access campus, the policy requires students and staff to produce their vaccination cards to campus security. A copy of the said vaccination card will be kept in the employee’s file or student’s registration file by the respective administration.
UWC grants vaccine exemption under 3 main grounds; medical reasons, religious reasons or constitutional grounds. The policy lists the documentation required as per each ground which an applicant can use to apply for exemption, 3 days prior to their return to the campus. All vaccine exemptions are set to be processed by the University Exemption Application Committee. UWC’s interim policy as of date does not require students and staff who have been granted exemption to undertake weekly COVID-19 testing, but does require them to undertake remote learning or working and continued wearing of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).
Furthermore, UWC’s policy takes a tough stance on the dissemination of false information regarding COVID-19 vaccines, stating “in addition, where an employee or student disseminates false information in relation to the COVID-19 Vaccine and/or its side effects to other employees or students without the consent of the university with the intention of discouraging them from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, such an employee or student shall be disciplined in line with the university’s disciplinary codes and procedures”.
On 24 December 2021, the Western Cape High Court ordered the University of Western Cape (UWC) to find alternative accommodation for students who were evicted from their university residences. The eviction came in light of UWC attempting to deep clean all university residences to implement its interim vaccination policy in 2022.
Susanna is currently stu(dying) genetics and joined the PDBY team in 2019. She divides her time between writing and playing with plant disease samples. Her contributions span across Science, politics and all things spicy. If you are or were in the SRC, she’s probably spammed you with messages for a story. She’s got a memory like an elephant – so she probably keeps track of student promises. Picture not to scale.