Celebrating Africa

Africa Month kicked off with intra-varsity games in the Sports Centre. The theme was Celebrating Africa Through Sport, and there was plenty of that as basketball players (pictured) slammed some impressive dunks.

• Johnny Oriokot (in green) of Easoc vies for possession with Obi Chigozie of eventual winners Ghanasoc in UCT's third annual Mini Africa Cup of Nations on 17 May.
• About a dozen children, aged six to 12, engage in singing games, known as ukuqula, in a demonstration of traditional African games on Jammie Plaza.
• Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Thandabantu Nhlapo, who spearheads UCT's Afropolitan drive, shares some words of encouragement with staff who participated in the painting and beading workshop to celebrate Africa Month.

Music legends and UCT honorary alumni Letta Mbulu and Caiphus Semenya perform some of their best-loved hits for an appreciative audience at the UCT Alumni Concert held at the Baxter Theatre Centre.

Music student Zinzi Nogavu sings a traditional lament, Vukani Noba Nilele, in honour of Mandela's life, at UCT's 20 Years of Freedom concert.

Master of ceremonies Deputy Vice-Chancellor Thandabantu Nhlapo officiates over the formal part of the proceedings at the Freedom Concert on 22 May, which saw the UCT community celebrate 20 years of democracy and pay tribute to Nelson Mandela's legacy.

• Guitarist and alumnus Shen Winberg loses himself in Vusi Mahlasela's music.
• Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price unveils the commemoration plaque to mark the renaming of Ring and Rugby roads as Madiba Circle / iSekile kaMadiba / Madiba Sirkelpad.
• Perennial favourites Freshlyground wow the crowd. For some of the alumni in the band, including lead singer Zolani Mahola (left) and violinist Kyla-Rose Smith, UCT is home turf.
• Award-winning house sensation Mi Casa ended the concert on a high note.

Gumboot dancers show how it's done - Africa-style - on Jammie Plaza, as part of Societies Plaza Day.

At the Law in Poetry event, doctoral student Anthony Diala recites his Bring Back Our Girls poem, in which he expressed outrage at the abduction of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls by Islamic extremists Boko Haram.

"Bring back our joy! Were it your child, your sister, your friend You would act with promptness What madness is this? What nation kills its young?"

African cuisine being sampled by the UCT community as part of the annual Societies Plaza Day on Jammie Plaza.

Law staff and students in traditional African attire hold up a #Bringbackourgirls placard at the Postgraduate Law Students' Council's celebration of all things African. The #Bringbackourgirls campaign was launched to pressurise the Nigerian government and the international community to prioritise the girls' rescue. • Panellists participating in the Big African Debate examined the space where sexuality and the law collide following their concern over increasingly oppressive anti-gay laws passed earlier this year in Uganda and Nigeria. The speakers were (from left) Dr Barbara Boswell, Adewale Maja-Pearce and Professors Pierre de Vos and Julia Stewart.