The University of Cape Town (UCT) is currently grappling with significant maintenance issues on its upper campus, which has become a visible symbol of neglect, Cape {town} Etc reports.
South African attorney and education expert Richard Wilkinson recently highlighted these problems in a series of posts on X, revealing an unsettling state of disrepair.
Wilkinson’s observations from a visit in December 2024 painted a grim picture, showcasing a campus plagued by peeling paint, broken ceilings, and widespread water damage. The attorney, who has expertise in the field of education, shared numerous photos that depicted unsightly conditions such as dirty stairs, an out-of-order elevator, and neglected areas with mould infestation. Broken tutorial boxes, damaged doors, and missing wall signage further highlighted the campus’s ongoing decline.
In addition to structural issues, Wilkinson pointed out the deplorable state of the signage around the campus. Many signs were found to be either faded, damaged, or completely unreadable. Notably, the sign near the rugby field was rendered illegible, and the Cissie Gool Mall sign had been knocked over, surrounded by scattered rubble and tape.
One of the more concerning observations was the growing accumulation of litter across the campus. Wilkinson noted that some rubbish bins appeared to have gone unemptied for weeks, and piles of trash could be seen strewn across various areas. Similarly, the campus’s drainage system was visibly in poor condition, with rusting pipes and plants growing in gutters—an issue that Wilkinson described as both a drainage problem and a fire hazard.
The overall state of the campus’s buildings also raised alarm. Wilkinson noted broken windows, deteriorating masonry, and damaged lampposts that had turned into rusting trash bins. UCT’s once-beautiful gardens were now overgrown, with plants left untended and visibly dying.
Wilkinson compared the state of the university to poorly managed municipalities, such as Johannesburg or Pietermaritzburg, and blamed ideological mismanagement prevalent at many South African institutions for the decline in UCT’s campus upkeep.
In response to these claims, UCT issued a statement acknowledging the posts but insisted that the images shared did not reflect the overall condition of the university. The institution explained that, as a large university spread across multiple campuses, the upper campus was undergoing planned maintenance, with core work typically carried out during vacation periods. It assured the public that any issues raised in Wilkinson’s posts, including litter and maintenance concerns, had been addressed or were being dealt with according to the ongoing maintenance schedule.
Despite the university’s reassurances, the visible deterioration of the upper campus raises important questions about the allocation of resources and the long-term sustainability of one of South Africa’s top educational institutions.
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Picture: Richard Wilkinson / X
