Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
An ethical and legal analysis of Covid 19 vaccine mandates instituted by South African corporations
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613868765741056 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Pheiffer, Anine |
| author2 | Hall, Susan |
| author_browse | Hall, Susan Pheiffer, Anine |
| author_facet | Hall, Susan Pheiffer, Anine |
| author_sort | Pheiffer, Anine |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134927 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:59.065Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134927 An ethical and legal analysis of Covid 19 vaccine mandates instituted by South African corporations Pheiffer, Anine Hall, Susan Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Philosophy. Applied Ethics. COVID-19 -- Vaccination -- South Africa Human rights -- South Africa Vaccine mandates -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa Corporations -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Medical policy -- South Africa Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Pheiffer, A. 2025. An ethical and legal analysis of Covid 19 vaccine mandates instituted by South African corporations. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/4c607f17-0c91-4118-bc4d-93d1edca6758 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Throughout history humanity has experienced infectious diseases and the COVID-19 disease is a stark reminder of this. The COVID-19 pandemic brought into focus the urgency of implementing vaccination policies. Since the virus spread rapidly and had a high mortality rate, this necessitated quick and comprehensive measures to protect public health. As a result of this global pandemic, businesses were unable to run optimally due to the threat of infection and possibly death. Insofar as it was designed to safeguard the health of staff, customers, suppliers, and other individuals in a business’ value chain, mandatory vaccination requirements were seen as safety measures. Interventions such as mandatory vaccination mandates were thus seen as providing a way for the economy to reopen post lockdown. Employees were able to return to their work premises allowing businesses to operate at full capacity, while their customers, co-workers and themselves were safeguarded. However, the decision on whether or not to vaccinate stirred up tensions between individual rights and the collective duty to contribute to the public good of herd immunity. The issue of mandatory vaccination policies within South African corporations remains a multifaceted and contentious topic that involves a complex interplay of ethical, legal and public health considerations. Corporations in South Africa, like businesses worldwide, were confronted with the challenge of ensuring a safe and healthy work environment for their employees while respecting individual autonomy and navigating the legal landscape. The urgency and potential for mass harm could justify the temporary suspension of some individual rights for the greater good. In general, vaccination mandates can be ethically justified when the risk of disease transmission is significant, the vaccines are proven safe and effective, and exemptions are granted for legitimate medical, religious or philosophical reasons. The COVID-19 pandemic, with its rapid spread and high mortality rate, intensified the debate around mandatory vaccination policies. Furthermore, the role of government is also examined. Ought the task of instituting vaccine mandates to sit with Corporate South Africa or should it rest with government from a public good perspective. Moving forward, continuing to wrestle with respect to vaccination policies from various viewpoints ergo philosophical, legal and sociological perspectives will remain central towards making sense of these ethical dilemmas. There will likely be future pandemics that will need careful navigation across the public and private sectors’ roles and responsibilities. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Deur die geskiedenis heen het die mensdom aansteeklike siektes ervaar en die COVID-19-siekte is 'n sterk herinnering hieraan. Die COVID-19-pandemie het die dringendheid van die implementering van inentingsbeleid in fokus gebring. Aangesien die virus vinnig versprei het en 'n hoë sterftesyfer Gehad het, het dit vinnige en omvattende maatreëls genoodsaak om openbare gesondheid te beskerm. As gevolg van hierdie wêreldwye pandemie kon ondernemings nie optimaal funksioneer nie weens die bedreiging van infeksie en moontlik die dood. Vir sover dit ontwerp was om die gesondheid van personeel, kliënte, verskaffers en ander individue in 'n besigheid se waardeketting te beskerm, moes verpligte inentingsvereistes as veiligheidsmaatreëls gesien word. Ingrypings soos verpligte inentingsmandate was dus gesien as 'n manier vir die ekonomie om ná die inperking te heropen. Werknemers konna hul werkperseel terugkeer sodat besighede teen volle kapasiteit kon funksioneer, terwyl hulle hul kliënte, kollegas en hulself beskerm het. Die besluit om in te ent al dan nie, wek egter spanning tussen individuele regte en die kollektiewe plig om by te dra tot die openbare belang van kudde-immuniteit. Die kwessie van verpligte inentingsbeleide binne Suid-Afrikaanse korporasies is 'n veelvlakkige en omstrede onderwerp wat 'n komplekse wisselwerking tussen etiese, wetlike en openbare gesondheidsoorwegings behels. Korporasies in Suid-Afrika, soos besighede wêreldwyd, was gekonfronteer met die uitdaging om 'n veilige en gesonde werksomgewing vir hul werknemers te verseker, terwyl hulle individuele outonomie gerespekteer en die regslandskap genavigeer het. Die dringendheid en potensiaal vir massaskade kon die tydelike opskorting van sommige individuele regte vir die groter goed geregverdig. Oor die algemeen kan inentingsmandate eties geregverdig word wanneer die risiko van siekteoordrag beduidend is, die entstowwe veilig en doeltreffend bewys word en vrystellings om wettige mediese, godsdienstige of filosofiese redes toegestaan word. Die COVID-19-pandemie, met sy vinnige verspreiding en hoë sterftesyfer, het die debat oor verpligte inentingsbeleid verskerp. Verder word die rol van die regering ook ondersoek. Die taak om entstofmandate in te stel, sit by Korporatiewe Suid-Afrika of moet dit vanuit 'n openbare goeie perspektief by die regering berus. Om vorentoe te beweeg en voort te gaan om vanuit verskeie oogpunte met betrekking tot inentingsbeleide te worstel, sal filosofiese, regs- en sosiologiese perspektiewe sentraal bly om sin te maak van hierdie etiese dilemmas. Daar sal waarskynlik toekomstige pandemies wees wat noukeurige navigasie in die openbare en private sektor se rolle en verantwoordelikhede sal benodig. Masters 2026-01-29T09:05:44Z 2026-01-29T09:05:44Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134927 Stellenbosch University 66 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | COVID-19 -- Vaccination -- South Africa Human rights -- South Africa Vaccine mandates -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa Corporations -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Medical policy -- South Africa Pheiffer, Anine An ethical and legal analysis of Covid 19 vaccine mandates instituted by South African corporations |
| title | An ethical and legal analysis of Covid 19 vaccine mandates instituted by South African corporations |
| title_full | An ethical and legal analysis of Covid 19 vaccine mandates instituted by South African corporations |
| title_fullStr | An ethical and legal analysis of Covid 19 vaccine mandates instituted by South African corporations |
| title_full_unstemmed | An ethical and legal analysis of Covid 19 vaccine mandates instituted by South African corporations |
| title_short | An ethical and legal analysis of Covid 19 vaccine mandates instituted by South African corporations |
| title_sort | ethical and legal analysis of covid 19 vaccine mandates instituted by south african corporations |
| topic | COVID-19 -- Vaccination -- South Africa Human rights -- South Africa Vaccine mandates -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa Corporations -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Medical policy -- South Africa |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134927 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pheifferanine anethicalandlegalanalysisofcovid19vaccinemandatesinstitutedbysouthafricancorporations AT pheifferanine ethicalandlegalanalysisofcovid19vaccinemandatesinstitutedbysouthafricancorporations |