UCT Day 2024 benefit concert and other updates

01 October 2024

Dear colleagues and students

A benefit concert, headlined by the renowned Professor Dizu Plaatjies on Thursday, 3 October 2024, will kick off a season of celebration and fundraising at the University of Cape Town (UCT) as part of the UCT Day 2024 festivities. Read more about this and other recent developments on campus.

1. UCT Day 2024 benefit concert

Professor Dizu Plaatjies, a legend in African music and the head of African Music at the South African College of Music, will mark his retirement this December. In his final campus performance at the Baxter Theatre Concert Hall on Thursday, 3 October, he will take the stage alongside industry peers and current students to raise funds for the UCT Unlocking Futures Bursary Fund. Tickets are priced from R75 and are available for purchase online.

Buy tickets.

The Unlocking Futures Bursary Fund aims to address the burden of historic fee debt, one of two critical fundraising drives supported in the UCT Day 2024 season. The second initiative, the UCT Food Sovereignty Programme, works to alleviate food insecurity for students on campus.

UCT Day 2024 will be marked by a series of fundraising activities throughout October, the university’s birth month.

The full schedule of UCT Day 2024 activities, including links to event tickets, is available on the official UCT Day website.

Read the full VC Desk: UCT Day 2024: Special day of celebrations and supporting our students.

2. CSSA 2024 to focus on cyber resilience this Cybersecurity Month

The Cyber Security Symposium Africa (CSSA) hosted by the Information and Communication Technology Services department, will again be held at UCT from 14 to 15 October. Several local and international speakers will share their insights and expertise under the theme “Cyber Resilience 101: Prepare. Respond. Recover”.

Explore the current state of cyber preparedness and contribute to finding practical, implementable solutions for personal and organisational security.

Visit CCSA for more information and to secure a seat. UCT staff and students only pay a discounted price of R2 000

3. Reminder: TB Davie lecture to be addressed by Judge Tladi

The 58th TB Davie Memorial Lecture, scheduled for Tuesday, 1 October, will be delivered by Judge Dire Tladi. Hosted in collaboration with the Academic Freedom Committee (AFC), the lecture is titled “The Narrative as the Enemy of Freedom of Thought”.

Judge Tladi, who was appointed as a judge of the International Court of Justice in The Hague in February 2024, will address this topic at the lecture to be held at LT1, Kramer Law Building, middle campus at 18:00 SAST.

4. SWS to host a Wellness Drive in October

The Department of Student Affairs (DSA), through the Student Wellness Service (SWS) division, will host a Wellness Drive from Wednesday, 9 October to Friday, 11 October.

Running from 09:00 to 15:00 each day at the Molly Blackburn foyer at the Plaza on upper campus, the event will offer students the opportunity to explore a range of wellness services, including counselling, indigenous health, medical support, the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, pharmacy services, as well as inclusion and diversity initiatives.

For further queries, please reach out to the SWS practice manager.