Thursday, 30 April

30 April 2020
 

17:10

The University of Cape Town (UCT) is writing to inform you of the guidelines that have been developed with regard to specific staffing-related matters during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The university will continue to work remotely during stage four and will advise in future if and when this position changes.

Guidelines on staffing matters

We have developed guidelines that have been informed by the government’s strategy on social distancing, UCT’s vision for 2030, institutional strategies for financial and social sustainability, and labour relations prescripts.

If you need clarity on a specific issue please email the Director: HR Client Services, Mr Zaheer Ally, or phone him on 021 650 4226.

A number of queries have arisen in respect of the research enterprise. The UCT executive and researchers are continuing their joint efforts to ensure the stability and continuity of the research enterprise.

We have identified four broad categories of work segmentation to ensure operational continuity:

  • jobs that can be fully performed on a remote working basis
  • jobs that can be performed partially on a remote basis
  • jobs that form part of an essential service and are performed in accordance with a lean staffing model on a rotational basis
  • jobs that cannot be performed remotely.

These four categories help to provide a conceptual framework for handling staffing-related matters.

We have drafted HR guidelines to assist on staffing matters and are providing them as a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). The FAQs address the following areas:

  • UCT contracts of employment
  • Staff recruitment/selection and the extension of fixed-term contracts
  • Management of deliverables during this period.

For issues related to the COVID-19 Temporary Employee-Employer Relief Scheme (TERS) and UIF claims, email Margie Tainton, or call her on 021 650 3028 or 084 582 6461.

Read the COO’s Desk.


16:40

This audio newsbyte from the University of Cape Town (UCT) serves to update you on the progress made with remote teaching for undergraduate students.

UCT is providing laptops on loan to eligible students. Delivery of these laptops began on 22 April and is expected to be completed by 8 May.

Deals to provide data bundles to all students have been signed with Cell C, MTN, Telkom and Vodacom, who have also agreed to zero-rate certain important UCT sites. The list of zero-rated sites is available on the ICTS website.

All online learning offerings are asynchronous – the pre-recorded lectures and study materials will be available in Vula, so students will not miss out on any learning. Course conveners will also be flexible in terms of submissions of work. The deadline to make changes in your curriculum has been changed from 8 May to 29 May.

The university is looking into the delivery of printed materials and USB drives for those students who cannot access the internet. 11 May has been set as the start date for distribution.

The UCT Call Centre and Referral System (CARES) is a new support tool being developed to provide student support. Your queries can be directed to uctcares@uct.ac.za.

Read the DVC’s Desk.


10:20

The process of rebuilding South Africa post-COVID-19 will require energy, creativity, commitment and resilient minds – all qualities that you can find in University of Cape Town (UCT) students, staff and alumni. As stakeholders and supporters of UCT, we have a privilege and a responsibility to help build that future now.

Upon hearing about the outbreak of the pandemic in South Africa, the UCT executive set up the COVID-19 UCT Emergency Fund to assist in the fight against the virus and its impact on the university community. So far, this fund has helped with needs such as:

  • Providing transportation for students needing to return home.
  • Disinfecting buildings.
  • Sourcing and arranging delivery of laptops to students.
  • Purchasing data bundles for students for remote learning.

The laptops alone have incurred a total cost of about R16.4 million.

When the lockdown is lifted and students and staff start returning to campus, the COVID-19 UCT Emergency Fund will help to provide for other needs, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure their safety.

Your support now will help to ensure that UCT continues to play an important role in the growth of South Africa.

UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng has committed 20% of her salary to the COVID-19 UCT Emergency Fund for a three-month period. This is above and beyond her regular monthly donation of 10% of her salary to the Mamokgethi Phakeng Scholarship Fund and her contributions towards her Adopt-A-Learner education trust and other initiatives.

The university is equally grateful to others who share the vice-chancellor’s commitment to higher education, including UCT Chancellor Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe who, late last month, announced the donation of R5 million by the Motsepe Foundation.

The donations barometer – which currently stands at R6.8 million – and donor acknowledgements are available on the Development and Alumni Department website.

The COVID-19 UCT Emergency Fund demonstrates solidarity and a strong commitment to supporting the most vulnerable members of the UCT community.

UCT invites you to pledge your support today.

Read the VC’s Desk.


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UCT’s response to COVID-19

COVID-19 is a global pandemic that caused President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a national disaster in South Africa on 15 March 2020 and to implement a national lockdown from 26 March 2020. UCT is taking the threat of infection in our university community extremely seriously, and this page will be updated with the latest COVID-19 information. Please note that the information on this page is subject to change depending on current lockdown regulations.

Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, has in June 2022 repealed some of South Africa’s remaining COVID-19 regulations: namely, sections 16A, 16B and 16C of the Regulations Relating to the Surveillance and the Control of Notifiable Medical Conditions under the National Health Act. We are now no longer required to wear masks or limit gatherings. Venue restrictions and checks for travellers coming into South Africa have now also been removed.

In July 2022, the University of Cape Town (UCT) revised its approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic on UCT campuses in 2022.
Read the latest document available on the UCT policies web page.

 

Campus communications

 
2022

Adjusting to our new environment 16:50, 23 June 2022
VC Open Lecture and other updates 17:04, 13 April 2022
Feedback from UCT Council meeting of 12 March 2022 09:45, 18 March 2022
UCT Council
March 2022 graduation celebration 16:45, 8 March 2022
Report on the meeting of UCT Council of 21 February 2022 19:30, 21 February 2022
UCT Council
COVID-19 management 2022 11:55, 14 February 2022
Return to campus arrangements 2022 11:15, 4 February 2022

UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre

On Wednesday, 20 July, staff from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences came together with representatives from the Western Cape Government at the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre at Forest Hill Residence to acknowledge the centre’s significance in the fight against COVID-19 and to thank its staff for their contributions. The centre opened on 1 September 2021 with the aim of providing quality vaccination services to UCT staff, students and the nearby communities, as well as to create an opportunity for medical students from the Faculty of Health Sciences to gain practical public health skills. The vaccination centre ceased operations on Friday, 29 July 2022.

With the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.

 

“After almost a year of operation, the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, located at the Forest Hill residence complex in Mowbray, will close on Friday, 29 July 2022. I am extremely grateful and proud of all staff, students and everyone involved in this important project.”
– Vice-Chancellor Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng

With the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.


Thank You UCT Community

Frequently asked questions

 

Global Citizen Asks: Are COVID-19 Vaccines Safe & Effective?

UCT’s Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM) collaborated with Global Citizen, speaking to trusted experts to dispel vaccine misinformation.



If you have further questions about the COVID-19 vaccine check out the FAQ produced by the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF). The DTHF has developed a dedicated chat function where you can ask your vaccine-related questions on the bottom right hand corner of the website.

IDM YouTube channel | IDM website
 

 

“As a contact university, we look forward to readjusting our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in 2023 as the COVID-19 regulations have been repealed.”
– Prof Harsha Kathard, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning

We are continuing to monitor the situation and we will be updating the UCT community regularly – as and when there are further updates. If you are concerned or need more information, students can contact the Student Wellness Service on 021 650 5620 or 021 650 1271 (after hours), while staff can contact 021 650 5685.

 

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