Statement by the outgoing Council of the University of Cape Town

Dear members of the UCT community

The UCT Council had its final sitting on Saturday, 20 June 2020.

The term for this Council will officially end on 30 June 2020, after which a new Council will commence its term.

The outgoing Council wishes to make the following statement:

• All the members of the outgoing Council wish to express their gratitude to the wider UCT community for the opportunity to serve this great institution. It has been an incredible journey with many milestones and challenges. We have been privileged to witness the profoundly important work that is done by UCT and the members of its community. As we grappled with complexities and very difficult moments, it was always clear that at the heart of it all was a commitment to the values of UCT.
• As a Council we believe UCT has achieved much over the last four years and we do feel very proud of the many achievements.
• Much remains to be done. We particularly recognise this time of global solidarity against structural racism that amplifies existing inequities. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests speak to racism and violence and is a reminder of how South Africans too have been and continue to be affected. This is compounded by violence inflicted on the lives of many through incidents of brutality (including by persons in the police services), femicide, intimate partner violence and homophobic hate crimes.
• As a university we own our past and the journey that we’re on in addressing the structural systems of inequity.
• We trust that the UCT community and the new Council will continue to rise to the challenge of contributing to a better society and a better world, and may UCT stand as an example of what such change can be.

We wish UCT and the new Council all the best and may the future continue to be sustaining, nurturing, embracing and transforming.

Sipho M Pityana (on behalf of Council)
Chairperson: UCT Council

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements