The University of Cape Town (UCT) Council has approved in principle a proposal to make Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for campus access.
The policy is expected to come into effect on New Year’s Day (1 January 2022). It has already been approved by the Senate.
The policy requires that all staff (to be able to perform their duties) and students (as a condition of registration) provide acceptable proof of vaccination against Covid-19. The UCT Council sat over the weekend to deliberate the move after weeks of engagements with both staff and students.
University spokesperson Elijah Moholola said: “Council resolved that the university executive should proceed to establish an appropriately constituted panel, whose task would be to develop the operational details required to implement the campus access dispensation, as referred to above, including the principles and guidelines for exemption from a requirement to provide proof of vaccination.”
The UCT executive will be required to report back to Council at its December 2021 meeting.
In September some students said a possible plan to implement a policy requiring students to be vaccinated before registering at the institution would infringe on the rights of students.