Announcement of IRTC commissioners

Dear members of the UCT community

I am pleased to announce that the Institutional Reconciliation and Transformation Commission (IRTC) has been established and will convene for a briefing meeting on 2 February 2018.

The choice of commissioners received the full and unanimous support of the IRTC Steering Committee, which finalised its recommendation to Council on 8 December 2017. Council responded the following day with its full support for the candidature of those put forward.

The establishment of the IRTC signals a historic landmark for the university, one that emerged out of an inclusive, consensus-building process, albeit at times a protracted one. The success of the process was due in no small measure to the strenuous efforts of the multi-stakeholder IRTC Steering Committee.

It is with great pleasure that I announce the esteemed membership of the IRTC:

• Dr Yvette Abrahams
• Dr Malose Langa
• Former Minister Mosibudi Mangena
• Ms Yasmin Sooka
• Justice Zak Yacoob

We are highly appreciative of all 18 nominees who agreed to put themselves forward for consideration, and we hope to be able to count on them all for their continued support in the future.

As reported previously, the IRTC Steering Committee has set provisional Terms of Reference, which will be refined and finalised by the IRTC. The provisional Terms of Reference stipulate that the IRTC will:

1. look into what is referred to as the ‘Shackville protests’ of February 2016, including any related and subsequent protest actions
2. invite submissions from all constituencies on the clemencies granted and make recommendations on converting clemencies into amnesties (or the continuation of clemencies) and what the nature of these amnesties will be
3. make recommendations on how to deal with the outstanding cases in the spirit of restorative justice
4. inform itself on all recent and ongoing initiatives to address the issues that fall within the broad scope of the IRTC
5. invite all constituencies – and be able to request relevant individuals and structures, including task teams – to make submissions on institutional culture and practices, including decolonisation and any that entail unjust discrimination, domination or violence, including sexual violence
6. make recommendations on institutional culture, transformation, decolonisation, discrimination, identity, disability, labour relations and any other matters that the university community has raised over the years, or may wish to raise.

Please join me in wishing them every success in their endeavours.

Mr Sipho Pityana
Chair of the IRTC steering committee (and Chair of UCT Council)