JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), one of the largest federations of business organizations in South Africa, said Tuesday it will approach the high court to get a declaratory order on mandatory COVID-19 vaccines in the workplace.

13-year-old Zak Power receives a first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the Vaccination Centre of Hope at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday Oct. 20, 2021. (Photo: VCG)

"We believe it would create certainty if there is a pronouncement by a court on the constitutionality and legality of mandatory vaccinations," BUSA CEO Cas Coovadia said in a written interview with Xinhua.

While the labor department has issued regulations on the matter, he believes that seeking clarification from a court would be beneficial for businesses.

"The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) regulations enable businesses to institute mandatory vaccination requirements under certain circumstances. A number of businesses have already acted on this," he said.

Several large companies have stated they will require vaccinations of their employees by January next year, citing the risk of dismissal if they do not comply, Coovadia said, adding that as a result, BUSA supports mandatory vaccinations in the workplace and wants to see more people get vaccinated.

"We think mandatory vaccination is critical to ensure as many of our people as possible are vaccinated so that we can overcome the virus and get back to a semblance of a 'new normal,'" he added.