This, after the Free State High Court struck the application for the urgent interdict by Free State for Choice (FS4C) from the roll on Friday.

FS4C dragged the University to court over its planned mandatory vaccination policy, which would see students, staff and visitors needing to get vaccinated against Covid-19 before gaining access to the campus.

The plan has since received backlash from different student organisations, including the EFF Student Command (EFFSC), which leads the Student Representative Council (SRC) at the University.

FS4C chairperson, Willie Shaw, in a statement says "after hearing the argument on the aspect of urgency, the presiding Judge commented, in summary, that the application is of major national importance.

Reacting to the court outcome on Friday, the UFS spokesperson, Lacea Loader, in a statement says as from February 14 – staff, students, and visitors will be required to be vaccinated in order to access the campus.

Loader adds that the university management remains of the view that the implementation of the policy is consistent with its prerogative and obligation to maintain a safe working and learning environment for its staff, students, and visitors.

"The University of the Free State (UFS) takes note that the application by Free State for Choice (FS4C) for an interim interdict against the university’s Covid-19 Regulations and Required Vaccination Policy was struck off the roll in the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein today (Friday) due to the FS4C’s inability to prove that the application should be heard as an urgent matter," Loader adds.

Loader further adds that those who are not vaccinated and wishing to access campus will have to produce a negative SARS (Covid-19) PCR test (not older than a week) on its campus access system if they are not vaccinated, or to have an approved deferral or an approved exemption, in order to access campus.

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