Cape Town - In the lead-up to his retirement later this year, renowned University of Cape Town (UCT) Professor Dizu Plaatjies is set to host his last fundraising event at the university.
Plaatjies, the head of African Music at the South African College of Music at UCT, will perform with industry friends and a selection of students at the Baxter Theatre Concert Hall to support the UCT Unlocking Futures Bursary Fund.
UCT Day 2024 will be held on October 3, two months before Plaatjies is set to retire from his professorship at the higher education institution in December.
Commenting on the upcoming concert, a spokesperson for UCT said the university’s Unlocking Futures Bursary Fund was established to alleviate historic fee debt and is one of the two fundraising initiatives supported through the UCT Day 2024 season.
The other initiative is the UCT Food Sovereignty Programme, established to combat food insecurity on campus.
UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mosa Moshabela said: “We are once again taking the time to reflect on our heritage, the legacy of those who came before us and who have left us this world-class institution, and the responsibility we have to create a lasting legacy for future generations.”
“Our UCT Day 2024 fundraising celebrations will provide us with an opportunity to reflect on the stature of UCT as a symbol of hope for the nation, the continent and the world, and how our sense of humanity is expressed in the support we provide to our students, the next generation of leaders in society, and our very hope for humanity.”
Tickets for the benefit concert are currently available for purchase on Webtickets, from R75.
Meanwhile, building on the successful inaugural events of 2023, UCT Day 2024 will again be commemorated through a series of fundraising events and initiatives throughout October 2024, during the university’s birth month.
The events will include the UCT Day Book and Film Festival, set for Friday, October 25, which will showcase established and emerging UCT alumni authors and filmmakers.
As well as the ‘In Conversation’ style discussions and film screenings will take place at the Kramer Law Building precinct, hosted in collaboration with Exclusive Books, Sunshine Cinema and the EMS Summer School.
“All of these activities provide an opportunity to come together to celebrate the vibrant spirit of UCT and to unite behind initiatives set up to support our students. UCT Day is for everyone. It is about uniting our diverse, global community around a shared passion and purpose for our students’ success.”
“When you purchase a ticket to any UCT Day campus fundraising activities, you will change a young person’s life. From as little as R50 per ticket, you will become a donor, a supporter and a champion to at least one UCT student in need,” Moshabela said.
Currently, UCT is running a Phonathon event, launched on September 16, with 15 UCT student callers running a dedicated call centre to raise funds for both programmes. The Phonathon for UCT Day will run until October 2.
Cape Argus