'Vaccination should not be made mandatory in the absence of a government policy'

National Freedom Party’s Parliamentary leader Ahmed Shaik-Emam says vaccination should not be made mandatory in the absence of a government policy. He says insufficient awareness campaigns by health authorities and experts are at the center of a lack of vaccination acceptance.  
Three people, including two students of University of the Free State were arrested and charged with public violence on Friday. This followed demonstrations outside the gate of the main campus in Bloemfontein.  
They were protesting against the university management’s implementation of a mandatory vaccination policy.  
Shaik-Emam says the vaccine roll-out programme in the country is controversial. 
“While there are those who are pro-vaccine, there are those who are anti-vaccine who have provided substantial evidence indicating that vaccines do not protect you from being infected with COVO-19. And more importantly that it does not prevent you from severe COVID or from death. And the National Department of Health and the health authorities and experts in the country have not done enough to convince ordinary South Africans that the vaccines are effective. While government has been talking about mandatory vaccines, no measures have been put in place by government. And as such, in the absence of that, you cannot force people to take the vaccines.” 
The new policy requires that students and staff produce a vaccination certificate to gain entrance.
The unvaccinated are required to apply for an exemption and undergo a weekly COVID-19 test with negative results to gain access to the campus.
Congress of the People (COPE) is also calling on Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande to intervene in what it calls the ‘unconstitutional decision’ of mandatory COVID-19  policies at some universities.
2022 Academic Year | University of Free State students oppose mandatory COVID-19 vaccination:

COPE spokesperson Dennis Bloem says students should not be prevented from receiving education.
“All of us are expected to respect the constitution of the country. It will be grossly wrong and unconstitutional to prevent any student to enter any educational institution, preventing  students from their democratic right to  get quality education  and empower them from the future. We want to call the Minister of Higher education Blade Nzimande to intervene in this unconstitutional decision of mandatory COVID-19 vaccines policy at the universities.”
ACDP CONDEMNS STUDENTS ARREST
Yesterday, the ACDP condemned the arrest of the students who were arrested protesting against the implementation of the university’s mandatory vaccine policy.
ACDP leader, Kenneth Meshoe says the constitutional rights of students are seriously being violated.
“We are very disappointed to hear reports that the University of the Free State Students have been arrested for protesting against the implementation of the mandatory vaccination policy. Section 12(2)(c) of the South African constitution is now being trampled upon by the government through its police officers. And that section 12 (2)(c), guarantees everyone that they have the right not to be subjected to medical or scientific experiments without their informed consent. The ACDP condemns the display of dictatorship and tyranny by the government and the police. And demands that the former Apartheid University (of the Free State) that used to deny access and the right of Black students to study at that institution, to stop perpetuating another form of Apartheid based on one’s form of vaccination status.”
A CALL ON ALL  UNIVERSITIES NOT TO DISCRIMINATE
“All universities in South Africa must allow all students who want to study regardless of their vaccination status on the campuses. I want to remind you again that the President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa said in February 2021 (that) nobody will be forced to take the vaccine. And nobody will be disallowed access into any school or university. Therefore what the University of the Free State is doing must be condemned in the possible strongest terms,” stressed Meshoe.
FORCED VACCINATION RUMOURS ARE  DANGEROUS AND FALSE: RAMAPHOSA  ON 1 FEBRUARY 2021
On 1 February 2021, President Ramaphosa told the nation that it was a dangerous and false rumour that vaccination will be forced on citizens or that citizens will be denied access to institutions of learning and public spaces. He made the announcement on the day when the first consignment of COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccines arrived from India at the OR Tambo International Airport.
“It is in the best interests of all that as many of us receive the vaccine as possible. But I want to be clear, nobody will be forced to take this vaccine. I want to repeat, nobody will be forced to take this vaccine. Nobody will be forbidden from travelling to wherever they want to travel to, including from enrolling at school or from taking part in any public activity if they have not been vaccinated. Nobody will be given this vaccine against their will, nor will the vaccine be administered in secret or in some dark corners. Any rumours to this effect are both false and dangerous. And we would like those who are spreading those rumours to stop,” Ramaphosa emphasised.
University of Free State students protest against vaccine mandate: