VC’s public lecture at Ottawa and other updates

06 June 2022

Dear students

University of Cape Town (UCT) Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng will present a public lecture at the University of Ottawa on Monday, 6 June 2022. Read more on this and other updates below.

1. UCT VC to deliver public lecture the University of Ottawa

The campus community is invited to tune in as Professor Phakeng delivers a public lecture at the University of Ottawa in Canada at 22:00 on Monday, 6 June.

Titled “Walking the tightrope between the boardroom and the picket line: Reflections of a transformative university leader”, the lecture forms part of the University of Ottawa’s excellence in education lecture series. Professor Phakeng will address the audience on her experience as VC of UCT and her talk will focus mainly on what it means to be a “courageous, transformative leader”.

Phakeng took office on 1 July 2018 with the vision of ensuring that UCT retains its position as the top university on the African continent, while driving a radical transformation agenda.

Follow the lecture via Zoom (Meeting ID: 989 4238 4447, Password: axtMb2)


2. UCT CFO reappointed as SAICA chair

UCT Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Vincent Motholo, has been reappointed as chairperson of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). Motholo, a qualified chartered accountant who joined UCT on 1 October 2021, was reappointed at the recent SAICA board meeting following the annual general meeting held late in May 2022.

In this role, Motholo will chair the board of the institute that is at the forefront of developing, influencing and leading the highest standards of ethics, education and professional excellence in the delivery of quality accountancy skills. SAICA is responsible for safeguarding professional standards; advancing and maintaining the relevance of the profession; and regulating the members’ and associates’ professional conduct.

His reappointment as SAICA chairperson is illustrative of the calibre of leadership and the immense expertise within the UCT executive.

Motholo has also served on SAICA’s Audit and Risk Committee as an independent non-board member. His other previous committee membership in the sector includes the Banking Sector Training Authority’s Independent Finance and Remuneration Committee, the South African State Theatre’s Audit and Risk Committee and the Independent Police and Investigative Directorate’s Risk Committee, where he was chairperson.


3. COVID-19 Vaccine Status Declaration

The university continues to ensure compliance with COVID-19 health protocols and to mitigate the spread of infection within the campus community.

This, however, requires commitment on everyone to take responsibility in assisting to reduce the risk. Providing accurate information into the UCT Vaccine Status Declaration system is one of the ways to help. This request is in line with the COVID-19 Code of Practice released by the Department of Employment and Labour on 15 February 2022, which came into effect on 4 May 2022.

This information is for statistical purposes only and unless mandated by the National Department of Health, will not be shared with anyone. This process has also been approved by UCT’s Protection of Personal information Act (POPIA) consultants.

Staff and students can declare their vaccination status by going to the UCT Health Centre, then click on the “Manage Vaccine Status” button. While the uploading of a vaccine certificate is on a voluntary basis, UCT encourages staff and students to do so.

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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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