The South African Students Congress (SASCO) rejects the attempt by some South African universities to impose mandatory vaccination. We deem the current discussion as an adventurous imposition on the freedom of choice and self determination.
Whilst we support the call for the rollout of vaccination to protect South African students, we are concerned greatly by the process of engagement and the reasoning used to justify the mandatory vaccination of students in our institutions.
As an organisation we are of the firm view that vaccination must remain voluntary so as to not infringe on people’s agency and allow adequate space to make their own choices including, but not limited to, taking or not taking a vaccine jab. We must also consider the possibility that once vaccines are made mandatory, this may fuel more hesitance amongst our people.
We are concerned by the lack of consultation and engagement around the proposal for mandatory vaccination, we must exhaust all avenues of engagement in a bid to deal with vaccine sceptisim. Engagement, transparency, openness and superior logic are vital tools to encouraging voluntary participation.
SASCO is also concerned around the urgency for students, who on average rage between the age of 18-30, would be imposed a mandatory vaccination when they are not the most vulnerable group and are not quantitatively significant enough to justify any urgency as it relates to the broader National vaccine drive.
SASCO will be engaging the said institutions that are considering mandatory vaccination and will also be engaging all student leaders who will be at university forums that will engage the matter.
Now more than ever, is the time for engagement, A time to foster collaboration and appreciate the constructive buy in. Our institutions must not slip into draconian authoritarianism. Institutions must be centers of intellectual engagement and persuasion, they should never harbor anything other than a healthy appetite to engage.
Issued by SASCO NEC
Bamanye Matiwane
President
Buthanani Thobela
Secretary General
For Enquiries
Luvuyo Barnes
Media & Communications Liaison
079 393 7131
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