During a provincial symposium by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in Bloemfontein on Thursday - to honour the Constitution of South Africa - the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) Senior Legal Officer in the Free State, Thonoko Modise, touched on the issue of mandatory vaccinations - an ongoing debate in the entire country. According to Modise, no law may limit the right to bodily integrity. He, however, stipulates that the situation between the university and students is very sensitive and unfortunate.

“If you look at the current situation taking place at universities, you will find that two rights are actually at war here. Students have a right to education - which should not even be trampled upon - and there are the rights of those who have been vaccinated and somehow feel like they have been compromised by those who are not vaccinated,” he adds.

In commemoration of the 25th year of the Constitution, many topics regarding the Constitution, rights of students, and the rights of those in underprivileged areas were highlighted.

OFM News previously reported that a UFS member of the Student Representative Council (SRC) told OFM News that no classes will proceed until they get the desired response after handing over their memorandum of demands to the management of the institution on Monday. This has raised safety concerns, among others, about the UFS’ vaccination policy. Sasco further alleges that there are operations taking place within the institution, in which student leaders are targeted, resulting in the arrest of their chairperson.

READ MORE: UFS brought to a standstill

Modise said that the Department of Justice cannot directly impact or change the occurrences of the protests at the UFS but that they can advise stakeholders and the educational entity on a way forward. He says that vaccinations against Covid-19 remain a touchy subject and will remain one for a very long time. He adds that vaccinations against Covid have been a worldwide pandemic in itself.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi and Lee Simmons