Campus announcements
March 2022 graduation and other updates
09 March 2022Dear colleagues and students
Graduation is around the corner and the University of Cape Town (UCT) will share in the graduands’ joy through a walk of celebration to be held on Upper Campus later this month. Read more on this and other updates below.
1. March 2022 graduation celebration
Graduation is scheduled to take place from 28 to 31 March. UCT celebrates and congratulates the graduands. In recognising the need to still adhere to COVID-19 protocols while at the same time needing to create space to celebrate, the upcoming graduation will include an in person walk of celebration. The events will take place outside Sarah Baartman Hall.
All ceremonies will be live-streamed so guests who are unable to attend in person can watch proceedings on the UCT News website (accessible from the UCT graduation web page) or via the university’s social media platforms, Facebook, and Twitter.
Recordings of the ceremonies will be made available at a later stage on the UCT YouTube channel.
Important details regarding graduation have been sent to each graduand’s MyUCT email address including each faculty’s specified date.
Official UCT merchandise will be available for sale on the plaza during the graduation celebration.
2. Marking International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is commemorated each year on 8 March. UCT Chancellor Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe has commended the great strides the university has made and acknowledged the efforts it is currently undertaking to ensure more women take on leadership roles within business, research, the Cape Town community, and most recently local government. She urged all women to empower, inspire and uplift one another.
3. Inaugural Lecture: Professor Richard van Zyl-Smit
Professor Richard van Zyl-Smit will deliver the first Vice-Chancellor’s Inaugural Lecture in 2022. The virtual lecture will take place on Wednesday, 9 March 2022 at 18:00 on the Microsoft Teams platform. The lecture, titled “Where there is smoke there is fire: Facing the giants of Tobacco, Industry and Academia without getting burnt”, will touch on, among other things, advocacy for clean air, support for smokers and fighting back against tobacco and vaping industry giants.
Professor Van Zyl-Smit is a pulmonologist and professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Groote Schuur Hospital.
- Read the VC Desk: Vice-Chancellor's Inaugural Lecture: Professor Richard van Zyl-Smit.
- Watch a short video clip by Professor Richard van Zyl-Smit.
- Register online to attend the lecture.
4. Student Wellness Service lecture on wellbeing
Student Wellness Service will host a webinar focusing on wellbeing and holistic health on Wednesday, 9 March at 17:00. It will be addressed by Phunyezwa Langa, who will share on “COVID-19 Vaccine Safety and Protocols”.
5. ICTS scheduled maintenance
Please note that on Sunday, 13 March, the Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) department will perform scheduled maintenance 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 2022 before planning any teaching, conferences, meetings, and other activities that require ICT services. For more information, see the article on why ICTS schedules regular monthly maintenance slots.
6. Road closure due to Varsity Cup game
The next UCT Varsity Cup home match will be played on the Rugby Field, Green Mile on Upper Campus on Monday, 14 March. Please note that as a result, Madiba Circle East will be closed to all vehicles between 16:30 and 21:30. Students and staff are requested to make use of alternative routes.
Communication and Marketing Department
Read previous communications:
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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.