A group of Durban University of Technology (DUT) students slept on the pavement outside the Berea campus on Tuesday night as they are yet to be allocated residences because they are not vaccinated against Covid-19.

The students blame the university’s vaccination policy which prevents them being allocated residences while they struggle to attend online classes in rural areas because of network and data issues.

The DUT council issued a directive on vaccinations through its “policy choices on vaccination of staff and students” in December.

Under the policy, an individual must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or continue with online activities and services. That would mean the individual produce a negative PCR test not older than 48 hours at their own cost every time they need to go on campus. Should a student fail to do either, they won’t be allowed entry to any of the campuses.

The university has repeatedly said it would stand by that policy.

Zoleka Ndlovu from KwaNongoma, told TimesLIVE: “We arrived yesterday [Tuesday] morning at the housing department, but it was closed so we couldn’t get help. We found a place to sleep, but there were too many of us, so we all decided to sleep here because it didn’t feel right for a few to sleep outside while the rest of us are comfortable there.

“The university wants us to vaccinate before we are allocated residences even though the president said that should be a personal decision. We have our reasons, so for DUT to force us to vaccinate, because they are essentially forcing us, is not right.”

Aphelele Ndabazandile, from Matatiele in the Eastern Cape, echoed these sentiments, saying they are forced to choose between their education or the vaccine.

“DUT must not make it mandatory, at least until that becomes the position of the whole country,” she said.

“When they force us like this, they mean you can either choose to prioritise your future or to administer something to your body that you are not ready for.

“We have seen people suffer side-effects from the vaccine and we are asking ourselves, what will happen to us? That’s why we are not ready to take the vaccine yet.”

She said the university is not keeping its word because it wants to appear perfect to the public.

“What’s worse is that they tell us one thing then do another. In the public’s eye they appear perfect. They are only prioritising first-year students, they don’t care about us.”

Meanwhile, DUT classes commenced on Monday after being delayed by a week.

Ndlovu said: “Others are trying the online classes, but they don’t know how to go about that and the network is bad in the rural areas, so we are forced to come here.

“At home they think we are fine in Durban, they don’t know that we are sleeping outside university gates.

“That means we will miss a week of learning because we don’t have networks at home. The classes are ongoing for self-payers, but we are left behind because we can’t pay.”

The students said they would sleep outside for as long as it takes because they have nothing to go back home to.

The DUT did not immediately respond to queries. 

TimesLIVE