In remembrance: Ruth Simbayi

Dear colleagues and students

We are filled with a deep sense of sadness as we announce the passing of our colleague, Ms Ruth Simbayi (62), who was the senior appointments officer in the Human Resources department. Ms Simbayi passed away on Wednesday afternoon, 28 October 2020, after a three-year battle with cancer.

Ms Simbayi joined UCT in 1999. She will be remembered for the numerous interactions she had with staff at UCT and for many, she was their first connection to the university. Her kind, compassionate and personable way of engaging with everyone made joining this large, complex university so much easier. She was a true ambassador for UCT and a perfect example of what a human resources representative should be. To her colleagues, she was a strong pillar, a beacon of light and a woman of strength. She will be remembered for her sterling professionalism, dedication to UCT and unmatched sense of humour. Her absence will be felt for a very long time by her colleagues and friends.

She is survived by her husband, Professor Leickness Simbayi, son Simbarashe and daughter Veronica.

Human Resources is making arrangements for an online remembrance service to be held on Thursday, 5 November at 09:00 via the Microsoft Teams platform. Those who wish to join this celebration of Ms Simbayi’s life can contact Cheryl.Samuel@uct.ac.za.

She will be laid to rest in her country of birth, Zambia. The family is currently busy with funeral arrangements.

We have reached out to offer support to the Simbayi family, and we convey our most heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and all who knew her. We are keeping them in our thoughts at this difficult time.

Sincerely

The UCT Executive

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