Completing a declaration of interests form

Dear colleagues

Every year staff members at universities around the country must make a full declaration of their financial interests and fiduciary roles and those of their immediate family members. This is a requirement of the Higher Education Act (101 of 1997), the University of Cape Town (UCT) Council’s policy and Council’s rules on conflict of interest.

In terms of an amendment to the Higher Education Act, all employees at higher education institutions are obliged to complete a declaration of interests form, which must be lodged with the Human Resources Department for audit purposes. The deadline for submission this year is 7 November.

At UCT this applies to all staff, including honorary staff, honorary research staff and all joint staff on UCT and Western Cape Government or National Health Laboratory Service payrolls. Ad hoc and paid-on-claim appointees are not required to complete the declaration form.

This policy and these procedures are necessary because they promote good governance and objectivity. The public (including research-funding agencies) have a legitimate expectation that the university will conduct, and be seen to conduct, its affairs – including all research – with integrity and objectivity, hence UCT’s Institutional Statute requires such submissions.

According to the policy, one must recuse oneself in any situation where a potential conflict of interest may arise.

The Higher Education Act prohibits a staff member from doing business directly or indirectly with the university unless the conditions laid down in the Act have been met. Only Council may sanction contracts between UCT and an entity in which a Council member or a staff member has a direct or indirect interest. Delegated authorities fall away in such cases. If you need more clarity, please consult the Procurement Office or the Office of the Registrar.

Please note that every staff member must declare any past and present special relationship(s) with another staff member, a student or an applicant for a post, where this may have a bearing on their work.

View the Conflict of Interest Policy.

View frequently asked questions regarding conflicts of interest.

Please complete the HR130 disclosure form and email it to conflictofinterest@uct.ac.za as an attachment from your UCT staff email account, or as a scanned copy of the disclosure form signed by you. It can also be returned via internal mail to the Executive Director: Human Resources at Bremner Building. Please do this no later than 7 November 2018. Those staff members who have already submitted their forms prior to this email do not need to do so again.

Thank you for helping us adhere to the Higher Education Act and maintaining UCT as an institution of integrity.

Sincerely

Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng
Vice-Chancellor

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