Emergency response drill and other updates

Dear colleagues and students

The University of Cape Town is this week coordinating the roll out of the Emergency Response Programme involving a live scenario. Read more on this and other updates below.

1. Emergency response drill

As part of the Emergency Response Programme roll out, the Occupational Health Safety Division and Campus Protection Services will coordinate an emergency response drill on Thursday,16 September. The drill will be restricted to Kramer Building from 11:00 and involves a live scenario. This is to test the Emergency Response Plan before the final release to the UCT community.

Remember that you will always be notified whether it is an emergency or a test. In case of a real emergency please ensure that you understand and follow the protocols of the building or space that you are in.

Look out for Part 2: Disaster and Emergency Evacuation Procedures of the BP! ERP

2. UCT Alumni book launch for Arola, a new book by Professor Zakes Mda

Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng invites UCT staff and students to the official South African launch of Professor Zakes Mda's latest book, Arola: A journey into 10 Ancient African Civilizations.

Professor Mda is a South African novelist, poet and playwright. He has won several major South African and British literary awards for his novels and plays. A UCT alumnus, he is currently a Patron of the Etisalat Prize for Literature.

Mda will be in conversation with UCT alumna, CEO and Artistic Director of The Baxter Theatre Lara Foot-Newton, who adapted his first novel, Ways of Dying, into an award-winning production for the Baxter Theatre.

This will be a hybrid event, comprising a book reading and signing, which will be live-streamed. Staff and students are invited to attend the in-person event to be held on upper campus for a limited number of guests in strict accordance with COVID-19 social distancing protocols.

Date: Friday, 1 October 2021

Time: 17:30 for 18:00–19:30

Venue: New Lecture Theatre, Residence Road, Upper Campus 

• Please RSVP by no later than Friday, 24 September.
• Watch the event (at 18:00 on 1 October 2021).

ln keeping with UCT's COVID-19 protocols, the in-person capacity for this event is 100 people. RSVPs will be captured on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests are requested to please arrive 30 minutes ahead of the start to ensure a speedy registration and health screening process. 

Copies of Arola will be available for purchase at this event. Do not miss this opportunity to engage with a best-selling international author and UCT alumnus.

For event queries, please email alumnievents@uct.ac.za.

3. Update on COVID-19 cases

As at 15 September 2021, the university has 662 reported cases of COVID-19 among non-health sciences staff members, with 571 recoveries. The number of students who have tested positive stands at 356, with 339 recoveries. The university has lost 26 staff members and three students to the virus.

4. ICTS scheduled maintenance on Sunday, 19 September

Please note that there is a scheduled maintenance slot by Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) on Sunday, 19 September from 09:00 to 17:00. Unless advised to the contrary, do not expect any ICT services to be available for the duration of the maintenance slot. Please remember to consult the scheduled ICTS maintenance slots for 2021 before planning any teaching, conferences, meetings, etc that require ICT services. For more information, see the article on why ICTS schedules regular monthly maintenance slots.

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements