Pretoria - After a two-year hiatus, the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University will once again be hosting a live graduation ceremony, the first since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The university last held a face-to-face graduation ceremony in 2019, with the 2020 and 2021 graduation ceremonies conducted virtually.
Yesterday, university spokesperson Dr Lusani Netshitomboni said the decision to resume the live graduation ceremonies came after Cabinet terminated the National State of Disaster on April 4.
Netshitomboni said the university would be hosting its first face-to-face graduation ceremony from May 25 to 27 at its sports complex. A total of 1 435 students will be graduating, and 16 doctoral degrees will be awarded in four of the university’s five schools.
He said children under the age of 7 would not be allowed into the hall. There will be a live stream.
It will be compulsory to wear masks inside the venue throughout the ceremony, he said.
Although Unisa announced in March that it too would be resuming its live graduation ceremonies, the event had to be suspended twice due to the protracted strike by employees affiliated with the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union.
The university has still not gone ahead with the ceremonies, as the workers are determined to continue with the protest until five office-bearers who were suspended for their part in a strike, which began on March 15, have been reinstated.
Pretoria News