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Herald Correspondent
All students should embrace vaccination to protect themselves and others, the Zimbabwe Congress of Students Union (ZICOSU) has said, as it backs the national vaccination campaign.
ZICOSU is a student representative body for those in universities and polytechnic colleges.
ZICOSU national secretary for recruitment and mobilisation, Neville Mangongo, encouraged students in a statement to heed the call for vaccination regardless of their affiliation, creed, race or religion.
“This virus is real and is lethal without fear or favour,” he said. “So, our fellow academic pathfinders of economic development, we urge you not to be enticed by those that chase a ‘seek-relevance’ type of student politics and employ a ‘dog-chase-tail’ conundrum of activism with the students’ lives as a bargaining chip.
“Most, if not all of us, have lost precious lives (of those we know) to this pandemic, and the vaccination programme does not eliminate the cause, but to a greater extent affords us another chance to see tomorrow.
“While we acknowledge that constitutionally it is still within the rights of students not to be or to be vaccinated, we strongly believe in the spirit of fighting against this pandemic.”
While it remained a right for one to choose not to be vaccinated, there was a mutual right to protect those vaccinated from riskier variants of the virus.
Mangongo said they were engaging with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to ensure that there were sufficient doses of vaccines within clinics at learning institutions or close by so that every willing student is vaccinated.
“Let it be known that no one is being left without access to education,” he said. “Systems are under consideration for such that are not vaccinated to use e-learning facilities, among others.
“Let no man or body spoil what the Health Ministry is trying to do to ensure a safer learning environment for all.”
Online Reporter