Campus announcements
Inaugural lecture by Professor Plaatjies and other updates
28 August 2024Dear colleagues and students
Professor Mzikantu Zungula Dizu Plaatjies will present his inaugural lecture on Wednesday, 28 August 2024, as part of the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Inaugural Lecture series. Read more about this and other recent developments on campus.
1. Inaugural lecture by Professor Plaatjies
Professor Plaatjies’ lecture, titled “My Journey”, will be held in the Baxter Concert Hall at the Baxter Theatre on Wednesday, 28 August 2024, at 17:30 SAST.
Professor Plaatjies leads the African Music Performance programme at the South African College of Music at UCT. Renowned as one of South Africa’s foremost traditional artists and cultural historians of African music, he founded and currently leads the music group Ibuyambo. He is also the founder and former leader of the internationally acclaimed traditional group AmaMpondo, which gained global recognition through its recordings and tours in the 1980s and ’90s.
Professor Plaatjies has been key in reviving the appreciation of the musical bows through his teaching at UCT and beyond. A master bow player and maker, his innovative approach has led to the creation of unique instruments. Though raised in an urban setting, his journey with the bow began under the guidance of his rural Mpondo mothers and aunts. Their influence has been a lasting source of inspiration in his career as a performer, instrument maker, educator, and mentor.
The last of the five inaugural lectures scheduled for August will be delivered by Professor Ameeta Jaga on 29 August.
2. Mpox travel advisory
The UCT community is advised to exercise caution when traveling to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and other West, East and Central African countries. Mpox is endemic to these areas, and transmission can occur through close contact (skin-to-skin).
Symptoms of Mpox include a rash with blisters (on the face, hands, feet, body, and genitals), fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, muscle and back aches, and low energy. The Occupational Health, Safety and Environment (OHSE) unit recommends the following steps to protect yourself:
- avoid close contact with anyone who has symptoms, especially skin-to-skin contact
- wash your hands and personal items (bedding, clothes, towels, etc) regularly
- keep surfaces clean.
To date, 24 cases of Mpox have been reported in South Africa since 8 May 2024 (12 cases in Gauteng, 11 cases in KwaZulu-Natal, and one case in the Western Cape).
For more information, consult the OHSE alerts or the OHSE Mpox factsheet.
3. Invitation to participate in the UCT Shuttle app survey
The UCT community is invited to participate in an online feedback survey for the UCT Shuttle app. Feedback will be used to inform the next round of updates to the app. Those who complete the survey stand a chance to win a R100 Food & Connect voucher or a R300 hamper.
The UCT Shuttle app can be downloaded for Android and iOS. To access the app, use your standard issued UCT system login details (staff/student numbers and current password).
4. OIC to host online training: use social media for good
Are you a male student or staff member at UCT who is interested in learning how to use social media for good by creating content that will spark conversation and engagement on gender-based violence (GBV) and inclusivity at UCT and beyond?
The Office for Inclusivity and Change (OIC), in collaboration with the Department of Student Affairs (DSA), is looking for 60 male-identifying students and 15 male-identifying staff members to form part of a diverse pool of an OIC content creators’ team. This team will be trained on content creation, as well as online and in-person discussion facilitation. Interested individuals will be trained on using and creating content (posts, memes, videos and reels) for TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and X. All levels of social media proficiency are welcome.
5. UCT Lead Academy: first-year foundation programme and two upcoming events
The UCT Lead Academy, through its student life pathway, invites 50 first-year students to apply for the First-Year Foundation Programme, scheduled to run from 3 September to 8 October 2024. This programme will introduce various leadership opportunities, helping first-year students understand the fluid and adaptive nature of leadership. It offers students a range of options, allowing them to decide whether they want to engage in leadership roles and what type of leadership they wish to pursue.
The programme will emphasise personal and group development, providing students with the tools to lead themselves effectively and choose the leadership journey they may want to explore during their time at university.
This eight-session programme will incorporate the following themes: introduction to leadership; environmental awareness; environmental awareness excursion; social responsiveness; social responsiveness/community outreach; spirituality and culture; art and leadership; and mental health and well-being.
The UCT Lead Academy will also conclude its Empowered Skills Development Series workshops on Wednesday, 28 August 2024. The fifth and last workshop, which will focus on “Managing Social Media”, will be held online from 17:15 to 18:30. It is open to students and staff.
The next event to be hosted by the UCT Lead Academy would then be a webinar addressing the topic, “The influence of national politics on our SRCs and how this may play out in the post 2024 new political landscape”. It is scheduled for Thursday, 29 August 2024 from 13:00 to 15:00. The webinar will be addressed by guest speaker Dr Bernard Sebake, who is the director of student governance and development at the Nelson Mandela University. The webinar is open to students and staff.
6. Faculty Council elections nominations closing soon
Students are reminded that nominations for Faculty Council elections will close on Friday, 30 August 2024.
The nomination forms and supporting documents can be accessed as follows (please download, complete and send the nomination form via email):
If you have any questions or need further updates, please feel free to send an email or follow UCT Elections on Instagram, X, Facebook or TikTok.
The UCT Election Office encourages you to submit your nominations early to avoid the last-minute rush, and looks forward to seeing your names on the ballot. Remember, Democracy 2.0: Your Vote Counts!
Communication and Marketing Department
Read previous communications:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Please view the republishing articles page for more information.
