Dear students and colleagues
This campus announcement aims to inform the UCT community about recent developments on campus.
1. Unleashing a new global university
UCT hosted the first in its series of digital events aimed at reimagining the new global university on Monday, 29 June. Challenging international thought leaders on the globalisation of higher education, the first conversation asked: “How virtual can academic conferences go?” The events in the series run until Monday, 7 September.
The next event will be held on Monday, 13 July and will focus on “International collaborations: how can we shift the power towards Africa?” Other events in the series will take place as follows:
2. Weekly COVID-19 cases update
As at 7 July, the total number of reported COVID-19 cases at UCT is 77. This total comprises 58 non-health sciences staff members and 19 students, of which five are Faculty of Health Sciences students on clinical platforms. The number of reported recoveries for staff is 35. Recoveries for students are not included as not all cases are managed by the Department of Student Affairs. There have sadly been six deaths reported – five staff members and one student.
3. Return to campus framework
The UCT executive has issued updates on how the university will coordinate the phased return to campus for staff and students. The framework does not signal a return to normal. Staff and students may only return to campus if they have been specifically issued with an invitation. If this invitation has not been issued, you may not return.
The small group of staff and students who are invited back to campus will have to adhere to very strict health and safety guidelines. All UCT staff must continue to work remotely unless invited back to campus as an essential service – this is a very small group. Although the university is putting a number of measures in place, staff and students are encouraged to take personal responsibility for their health.
4. UCT pays homage to COVID-19 frontline workers
The UCT Choir has paid tribute to the country’s essential workers at the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. The choir’s rendition of the traditional isiZulu hymn, Thuma Mina, is also dedicated to UCT community members battling COVID-19 and those who lost their lives or family members to the virus.
5. UCT’s commitment to eradicating racism
The Leadership Lekgotla has reaffirmed the university’s commitment to the eradication of all forms of racism and inequality, including, but not limited to women, black staff and students, and the LGBTIQ+ community. This comes following the horrendous killing of George Floyd in the US. This inhumanity was displayed to a global audience and once again exposed the suffocating and deadly legacy of centuries of systemic racism and structural inequality. The Leadership Lekgotla also fully supports and endorses the Council’s statement which commits to the eradication of all forms of racism across UCT.
Communication and Marketing Department
Read previous communications:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Please view the republishing articles page for more information.
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.
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 PhakengWith 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.
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.