Celebrating the life of Dr Stuart Saunders

Dear colleagues and students

Late last week we were saddened to announce the passing of former University of Cape Town Vice-Chancellor, Dr Stuart Saunders (89), who died in his sleep on 12 February 2021 following a short illness.

While we remain devastated by the loss of a man who made such a huge contribution to the institution and to the higher education sector, we also wish to reflect on and celebrate his life. We will therefore host a virtual memorial service for Emeritus Professor Saunders on Wednesday, 24 February 2021 at 19:00 SAST via the MS Teams platform.

• Please register for the event.

You are all invited to join the UCT leadership and Saunders’s children, John and Jane, as we remember and celebrate our former VC.

Those who may wish to post tributes and personal memories are invited to do so by emailing rememberingstuartsaunders@uct.ac.za. The university has also created a dedicated feature page paying tribute to Saunders through articles, images and video.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Friends of Valkenberg Trust. Alternatively, those who wish to do so may make donations in Saunders’s memory to the Stuart & Anita Saunders Bursary Fund by giving to the UCT UK Trust (UK residents); the UCT Fund Inc of NY (USA); or the UCT Foundation.

We will always remember and cherish Dr Saunders for all his accomplishments, for leading UCT from 1981 until 1996, and for serving the university in various countless roles before and even after his term as VC.

Sincerely

Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng
Vice-Chancellor

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements