Mandatory Vaccines: Student Bodies Warn That Compulsory Jabs Could Spark Violent Protests
- Student bodies have warned that the mandatory vaccine policy the government is planning on implementing will lead to protests
- They warned that if the police got involved then the protests could turn violent and spiral out of control
- A number of universities have already begun adopting policies that will require students to be vaccinated in order to study on campus
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JOHANNESBURG - The Student Union of South Africa (SAUS) has warned that the government's plan to make Covid 19 vaccine's mandatory could lead to violent protests.
SAUS president Yandisa Ndzoyiya revealed that they are encouraging students to take the job but they warned that if the students are not consulted properly then violent protests might spread.
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He warned that if the police got involved it would be a recipe for disaster. He also said that if private security companies were introduced then it could also lead to the protests turning violent according to News24.
Univerisity of Johannesburg jumps on mandatory vaccination, students not happy
Earlier, Briefly News reported that the University of Johannesburg has joined a long list of higher education institutions in South Africa that will require members of the public to be vaccinated to gain access to its facilities.
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UJ's council held a meeting on 25 November 2021 to discuss mandatory vaccination and resolved that students, post-doctoral fellows and staff members will have to present their proof of vaccination at all campuses.
The policy will also apply to visitors, contractors and stakeholders, according to News24. The university says it will try to balance the rights of individuals with the rights of the collective, however, the rights of the collective take precedence, meaning the rights of individuals may be limited.
The university says it will consider medical and religious grounds for exemption from the vaccine requirement.
The university says it has taken into consideration the socioeconomic status of students and decided that it was paramount to ensure that students gained access to all facilities, and vaccination would help achieve this objective.
UJ also noted that some interactions will require in-person engagements.
UWC vaccine mandate: Students upset by university’s decision, fight for freedom of choice
Briefly News previously reported that the University of the Western Cape (UWC) has announced that it will be compulsory for its students to be vaccinated against Covid-19 if they wish to access campus (including residences) or attend events held by the university.
This policy will come into effect at the beginning of next year. Other tertiary education institutions, such as the University of the Free State and the University of the Witwatersrand, have implemented similar policies.
The students will be allowed to register irrespective of their vaccination status. However, students do not feel that this concession is enough and many are predicted to protest against the new policy, according to the Daily Voice.
Source: Briefly News
