Tribute to Dr Stuart Saunders on behalf of the UCT Trust (UK)

Sibylla Tindale was the director of the University of Cape Town Trust (UK) from 1990 to 2010 and remembers Dr Stuart Saunders on behalf of the Trust.

Dr Stuart Saunders – the transformative, transformational giant of the University of Cape Town (UCT) and South Africa. His intelligence, his warmth, his empathy, his brilliance, his memory, his humanity, his vision, his humour and his ambassadorial presence transformed university education in late 20th-century South Africa.

Stuart founded the UCT Trust in 1988, with the support of our notable trustees, at a time when South Africa was a pariah in Europe and North America. His bold vision of what could be powered his desire to raise funds to transform lives through education. His desire for equity – not just equality – illuminated his vision for UCT and higher education in South Africa.

“He led the way for higher education excellence available to all.”

Thus, today, South Africa has many tens of thousands of black graduates whose lives have been transformed by Stuart’s stoic stand against the apartheid state. This led to opening the UCT residences to people of colour when it was illegal to do so, to enable those from rural and township homes to study with electric light – and to be inspired by learning. In the drive to equity, he raised monies for bursaries, for enabling/bridging programmes and for investing in research capabilities; he led the way for higher education excellence available to all.

And fundraise he did. The UCT Trust raised hundreds of millions of rands, from UK benefactors mainly, the farsighted people who supported Stuart’s vision for great education for all of South Africa and beyond – for our neighbouring African nations too.

“Stuart was filled with such humour; and his empathy created the climate for agreement.”

Stuart was indomitable in supporting the UCT Trust. The weeks of back-to-back meetings in London, through the UK, into Sweden and Germany and France. The moments of huge joy when a large cheque was simply handed over, after days of persuasion, to deliver powerful postgraduate scholarships and new libraries and research buildings. And always, Stuart was filled with such humour; and his empathy created the climate for agreement.

We had fun, too! I will never forget when, like Atlas, Stuart boldly held apart the automatic doors of a Stuttgart intercity express to allow me to board, to the chagrin of the puritanical conductor; waiting in airport lounges, entertaining ourselves with identifying which European nationality of businessman (mainly men, in those days) was in the lounge, by looking at their haircuts; in a Munich beer garden, being treated by a supporter to breakfast – yes, breakfast! – with the traditional delicacy weisswurst mit weissbier (white sausage with white beer).

It was such a pleasure to work with this immense personality, such a privilege to learn at his feet, and such a joy to share his success when donations arrived.

Sibylla Tindale

Former Director of the UCT Trust 1990–2010