The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) chancellor Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe has announced a R5-million donation by the Motsepe Foundation to help the university manage its multi-faceted response to the global Covid-19 pandemic.
To combat the disease, UCT ended the first term early on March 16. To date five members of the university have tested positive for Covid-19. All are in self-isolation under the supervision of the National Department of Health.
Following the president’s announcement of the national disaster and the ensuing countrywide lockdown, thousands of UCT students vacated their residences, necessitating extra measures to ensure they reach their homes safely.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng said she welcomed the timely and generous donation from the Motsepe Foundation – crucial support when UCT’s resources were being stretched in unimaginable ways.
“UCT has weathered many storms in recent years but little could have prepared us for Covid-19. However, our leadership team is putting measures in place to continue our core business – which will not be business as usual – of teaching and learning and research. For this we need additional resourced to assist our students wherever possible,” said Phakeng.
“Barely one term into the year, they and our community face innumerable challenges. The donation from the Motsepe Foundation, secured through our chancellor, Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, will help to smooth the way. I thank everyone for pulling together at this time,” she added.
Moloi-Motsepe said she had approached the foundation after hearing that students would be asked to leave campus because of the coronavirus outbreak.
“Due to the unexpected nature of the pandemic, staff and students were in a precarious position. Understanding that many of our students come from very impoverished backgrounds, making the arrangements for everyone to leave campus was a difficult and stressful period,” she said.
“I watched with sadness a student from a rural community interviewed on TV mention that she relied on computers at the university library to do her work as she doesn’t have a laptop. Now that the university was closed, she was expected to do her work online, which was just not possible.”
With these challenges in mind, the trustees of the Motsepe Foundation had committed R5-million for UCT to assist its students and staff and its coronavirus crisis management. In times of crisis it’s vital that leaders lead by example, she said.
“The intention behind the donation is to evoke collective action in our efforts to overcome this crisis. The sustainability of our systems and strategies are being tested. We must find ways to work together, pooling our resources, knowledge and capabilities to create an effective path forward.
“As leaders we have to instil hope in the institution’s ability to re-imagine our systems, as well as collective accountability for implementing the strategies required during times of disruption,” she iterated.
UCT’s alumni also have rallied to help with donations from many members abroad.
Thius far, the Development and Alumni Department (DAD) has received donations totalling R335 453, from 92 UCT alumni including a R100 000 donation from a Canadian alumnus.