The UCT Council has approved in-principle to make vaccination mandatory for all staff and students as a condition of campus access for the 2022 academic year.
The announcement made by the university on Wednesday follows a council meeting held on October 16.
UCT Spokesperson Elijah Moholola said the proposal requires that all staff as a condition of being able to perform their duties and students as a condition of registration provide acceptable proof of having been vaccinated against Covid-19.
“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.”
Moholola said as part of the executive’s engagements with the campus community, staff and students were also invited to complete a short survey on the matter.
The majority of staff and students who completed the survey supported a mandatory vaccination policy for UCT.
About two weeks back the University of Cape Town’s College of Fellows also announced that people who will attend their annual event in November, will be required to provide proof of vaccination as part of Covid-19 prevention measures.
The majority of the UCT Senate had also voted in favour of the mandatory proposal last month with 83% of respondents in the ballot indicating support.
“UCT continues to encourage those who have not yet been vaccinated to do so as that will help keep down the rate and the severity of Covid-19 infection,” Moholola added.