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15 July 2022 | Story Lacea Loader

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) approved the lifting of the institution’s COVID-19 Regulations and Required Vaccination Policy with immediate effect.

“Since the declaration by the Government on 22 June 2022 that the COVID-19 regulations will be repealed, the UFS has conducted a risk assessment to determine the risk of exposure to staff and students. From the assessment, it was clear that the university’s COVID-19 infections are currently a low risk,” said Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

Factors that contributed to this low risk include the following:

  • No COVID-19 positive cases among UFS staff and students have been reported in the past month.
  • The high number of vaccinations among UFS stakeholders. In addition, the current national immunity level of the total South African population is high.
  • Certain faculties and postgraduate students are currently proceeding with hybrid/online learning, which minimises the risk of possible COVID-19 infections on the university’s three campuses.
  • In its correspondence of 23 June 2022, the UFS urged all staff and students to continue wearing masks should they have comorbidities and/or symptoms of illness, thus safeguarding other stakeholders.

“We believe that COVID-19 no longer poses an immediate threat to the safety of our staff and students, and that the pandemic is at a stage where they should take responsibility for their own safety. This can be mainly ascribed to the success of the implementation of the policy. Staff and students who still wish to wear masks are urged to do so at their own discretion. Those who have not yet been vaccinated against the virus and have no

known condition preventing them from doing so, are advised to get vaccinated for their own safety and protection,” said Prof Petersen.

The UFS COVID-19 Regulations and Required Vaccination Policy was approved by the University Council on 26 November 2021 and implemented on 6 December 2021. The university commenced restricting unvaccinated individuals from accessing its campuses as of 14 February 2022.

“If the national regulatory environment with respect to COVID-19 is changing to such an extent that the policy needs to be re-implemented, the university’s executive management will act accordingly, and hence the COVID-19 Regulations and Required Vaccination Policy remains a policy of the university as approved by the UFS Council on 26 November 2021.” said Prof Petersen.

 

Uplifting of the COVID-19 vaccination policy - mitigation strategies of the University of the Free State.

News Archive

Kovsie student receives national political studies award
2016-10-07

Description: ’Manapo ’Mokose   Tags: ’Manapo ’Mokose

’Manapo ’Mokose who was awarded a prize for  the best Honours
essay at the 2016 South African Association of Political Studies
(SAAPS) awards.
Photo: Supplied

“The UFS gets so little recognition. I hope that winning this award will attest to its strength as a genuine avenue for student success.”

This was the message from ’Manapo ’Mokose to students at the University of the Free State (UFS) after being awarded a prize for the best Honours essay at the 2016 South African Association of Political Studies (SAAPS) awards.

Mokose in a nutshell

’Mokose, who completed her degree in Political Science and Business Management at UFS went on to pursue an Honours degree in International Relations. The topic of her essay was The BRICS Development Bank in the New World Order: Reflections on Africa and China.

Voicing frustration at how little people engaged with political issues, ’Mokose pointed to the reality that political awareness empowered people to influence their environment.

She was candid about her struggles with self-doubt and shared that to her the award meant she had a clue after all and was certainly on the right track.

UFS support meant the world

According to ’Mokose none of this would have been possible without the love and support she received from the UFS. She gave special recognition to her supervisor Prof Theo Neethling in the Department of Political Studies. “I would not have received this award without him,” she said.

The award ceremony took place on 1 September 2016 in Cape Town.

’Mokose is currently doing her Masters in International Relations at the University of Cape Town and is an intern at the Institute for African Alternatives.

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