UCT students say possible mandatory vaccine policy will infringe rights

Some students at the University of Cape Town (UCT) say a possible plan to implement a policy that will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before registering at the institution will infringe on the rights of students.

UCT confirmed that a proposal on mandatory vaccinations will be considered by its senate during a meeting on Friday.

The institution says it’s expected that the matter will be debated fully before its council makes a final decision.

Student Arthur Kitonga says the decision to receive the vaccine should be a personal choice.

“The University’s implementation of mandatory vaccinations, I don’t think it’s a good policy, because in terms of vaccination it should be a personal choice and not mandatory. I think if they put incentives like if you get vaccinated, you’ll be allowed to come to in-person classes or anything, then I mean if you put an incentive then it will make sense for someone to vaccinate and not just force someone to vaccinate against their will,” says Kitonga.

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Some students at the University of Cape Town say they agree with the proposal.

Fourth-year student Mogammad Brinkhuis says mandatory vaccinations will foster a sense of normality on campus.

“With regards to the vaccination before registering, I feel like that’s the way forward. That’s the way we should go, because I mean, what you going to do, you going to test for COVID every week, because you don’t believe it, but there are literally people dying from COVID every single day. So I believe fully with that because that’s the way forward and that’s the way back to normality,” says Brinkhuis.

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