Campus announcements
Draft Vaccine Mandate Policy stakeholder engagements and other updates
09 February 2022Dear colleagues and students
The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Vaccine Mandate Panel (VMP) continues to hold consultative sessions on the draft Vaccine Mandate Policy. Staff have an opportunity to attend the final session. Read more on this and other updates below.
1. Draft Vaccine Mandate Policy stakeholder engagements
Staff who missed the session held on 27 January by the university’s Vaccine Mandate Panel (VMP) on the draft Vaccine Mandate Policy, have an opportunity and are encouraged to attend the final staff engagement session on Wednesday, 16 February at 11:00 via the Microsoft Teams Platform.
The sessions are part of the stakeholder engagement process and speak to the Institutional Fora. All staff are encouraged to participate in the session to make their voices heard and to learn more about the work of the panel.
2. Safety and security on campus
The safety of students and staff remains one of the university’s key priorities.
Campus Protection Services (CPS) operates 24/7 and is committed to maintaining the safety of UCT and the wider community, safeguarding their property, while maintaining order in accordance with university policies.
CPS officers operate from various centres around UCT, patrolling campuses on foot, in marked cars as well as through live CCTV feeds.
Students and staff are advised to always be aware of their surroundings, and particularly of the people in their environment. Please report any suspicious behaviour. Please do not leave your possessions unattended.
If at any stage you feel unsafe, please call CPS on 080 650 2222 (toll-free) or 021 650 2222/3. This number is printed on the back of every UCT identity card.
Other emergency and essential numbers
Ambulance 10177
Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) 021 404 9111
24/7 Sexual Assault standby number 072 393 7824
SADAG UCT Student Careline 0800 24 25 26 or SMS 31393 for a callback
Suicide Helpline 0800 567 567
Police
Flying squad 10111 (from a landline) 112 (from a cellphone)
Rondebosch Police Station 021 685 7345
Mowbray Police Station 021 680 9580
Woodstock Police Station 021 442 3117/21
3. UCT Shuttle delays due to SONA
Please note that due to the State of Nation Address (SONA), UCT Shuttle users can expect heavy delays on Thursday, 10 February from 17:45 to 19:30. The Sandown and Claremont buses will be rerouted during this time to accommodate the road closures. The Hiddingh Campus buses will definitely be delayed and where possible commuters are advised to take earlier buses.
4. Participate in Census 2022
The UCT community is encouraged to participate in the Census 2022. Statistics South Africa is currently conducting the nationwide population and housing census, which started on 3 February and will conclude on 28 February. This is South Africa’s fourth population count post-democracy and the country’s first digital census.
5. Campus Life 2022 online publication
While you may be continuing to find your way around campus as a first-time entering student, you can be assured that we will walk beside you every step of the way. Your time at university can be the best years of your life, and you will sometimes need a little help. So, we’ve made a wide range of services available to you. Whether it’s mental health or physical wellness, study tips or the inside scoop on your new neighbourhood, you can find out all you need to know in Campus Life 2022 – our annual online publication for new students.
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.
UCT’s response to COVID-19
COVID-19 is a global pandemic that caused President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a national disaster in South Africa on 15 March 2020 and to implement a national lockdown from 26 March 2020. UCT is taking the threat of infection in our university community extremely seriously, and this page will be updated with the latest COVID-19 information. Please note that the information on this page is subject to change depending on current lockdown regulations.
Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, has in June 2022 repealed some of South Africa’s remaining COVID-19 regulations: namely, sections 16A, 16B and 16C of the Regulations Relating to the Surveillance and the Control of Notifiable Medical Conditions under the National Health Act. We are now no longer required to wear masks or limit gatherings. Venue restrictions and checks for travellers coming into South Africa have now also been removed.
Read the latest document available on the UCT policies web page.
Campus communications
2022
UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre
On Wednesday, 20 July, staff from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences came together with representatives from the Western Cape Government at the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre at Forest Hill Residence to acknowledge the centre’s significance in the fight against COVID-19 and to thank its staff for their contributions. The centre opened on 1 September 2021 with the aim of providing quality vaccination services to UCT staff, students and the nearby communities, as well as to create an opportunity for medical students from the Faculty of Health Sciences to gain practical public health skills. The vaccination centre ceased operations on Friday, 29 July 2022.
With the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.
“After almost a year of operation, the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, located at the Forest Hill residence complex in Mowbray, will close on Friday, 29 July 2022. I am extremely grateful and proud of all staff, students and everyone involved in this important project.”
– Vice-Chancellor Prof Mamokgethi PhakengWith the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.
Frequently asked questions
Global Citizen Asks: Are COVID-19 Vaccines Safe & Effective?
UCT’s Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM) collaborated with Global Citizen, speaking to trusted experts to dispel vaccine misinformation.
If you have further questions about the COVID-19 vaccine check out the FAQ produced by the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF). The DTHF has developed a dedicated chat function where you can ask your vaccine-related questions on the bottom right hand corner of the website.
IDM YouTube channel | IDM website
“As a contact university, we look forward to readjusting our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in 2023 as the COVID-19 regulations have been repealed.”
– Prof Harsha Kathard, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning
We are continuing to monitor the situation and we will be updating the UCT community regularly – as and when there are further updates. If you are concerned or need more information, students can contact the Student Wellness Service on 021 650 5620 or 021 650 1271 (after hours), while staff can contact 021 650 5685.