For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.

Making headlines: DA wants government to scrap higher education vaccination policies, Unisa postpones graduations after Nehawu members disrupt ceremony and, Drugmakers condemn plan for Covid vaccine patent waiver

DA wants government to scrap higher education vaccination policies

The Democratic Alliance is calling on the Department of Higher Education to scrap mandatory vaccination policies at universities and other institutions of higher learning and training.

The party says the mandatory vaccination policies lack clarity and have already led to infrastructure destruction owing to violent protests at the Durban University of Technology and other institutions.

It also argues that the adopted policies exclude students who remain unvaccinated for various reasons.

Instead the DA proposes a negative Covid-19 test no older than 72 hours; a recent antibody test and a positive Covid-19 test that is older than 14 days but no older than some specified period, as natural immunity does wane.

Unisa postpones graduations after Nehawu members disrupt ceremony

The University of South Africa has suspended further graduations following disruptions allegedly by protesting National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union members at a ceremony today.

Unisa spokesperson Victor Dlamini said UNISA management is currently in conversation with Nehawu about the issues in dispute that led to the disruption, as well as the rules of engagement when employees exercise their right to protest.

Dlamini said the university would make alternative arrangements for the graduates who had been inconvenienced by the disruption

Details of the arrangements would be communicated directly to the affected graduates in due time.

Drugmakers condemn plan for Covid vaccine patent waiver

Global drugmakers have condemned an initiative by four World Trade Organization members to introduce an intellectual property waiver for Covid-19 vaccines.

It said the waiver could undermine the industry's ability to respond to health crises in future.

The United States, the European Union, India and South Africa reached consensus today on key elements for a long-sought waiver for Covid-19 vaccines.

Director general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations Thomas Cueni said the biopharmaceutical companies reaffirm their position that weakening patents now when it is widely acknowledged that there are no longer supply constraints of Covid-19 vaccines, sends the wrong signal.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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