Unisa to host first physical graduations since start of Covid-19 pandemic

Nehawu members protest outside the Unisa main campus. Picture: Jacques Naude African News Agency (ANA)

Nehawu members protest outside the Unisa main campus. Picture: Jacques Naude African News Agency (ANA)

Published Jun 20, 2022

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Pretoria - Unisa is due to host the institution's first batch of physical graduations since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The university recently announced that the ceremonies would take place at its campuses from June 27 to August 5.

The first ceremonies will take place in Polokwane on June 27 and 28, followed by ceremonies at Muckleneuk campus in Pretoria from July 1 until July 8.

The third series of ceremonies is planned for Cape Town from July 11 to 13, and Durban from July 18 to 22. July 27 and 28 is reserved for East London graduations. The last graduations will be held in Durban again from August 1 to 5.

Despite the university announcing its intentions to host its first live graduation in March this year, it was forced to suspend two ceremonies as a result of the protracted strike by workers affiliated to the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) regarding a salary dispute.

The university suspended five shop stewards aligned to the union as workers continued their protest, demanding their reinstatement.

Nehawu national co-ordinator Ntsako Nombelani said the union had agreed that the university resume the ceremonies as some people were travelling from and to as far as Limpopo and Durban.

Nombelani said despite this leeway, in principal the university and the union had reached a solution after several meetings with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).

He said even though the union had come with an improved offer of 4.2%, this was still way below the annual inflation rate which was recorded at 5.9% as of April.

Despite this, Nombelani said the union was still determined to allow the CCMA process to unfold before any other decision was taken.

In the interim, he said a task team had been set up to rebuild the relationship between the union and the university, and workers had been allowed to return to work.

Nombelani said that despite allowing workers to return to work, the union would withdraw its members in the directorate, or establish a go-slow should the university proceed with its intent to instil a no-work-no-pay principle without a verification certificate.

Pretoria News