Ah, the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa’s pride and joy in the academic world. Founded in 1829, it’s long been one of the top universities in Africa – but lately, its upper campus looks like it’s had a few too many potholes in the road of life.
Attorney and education guru Richard Wilkinson recently took a stroll through the campus and found it in a sad state of disrepair. Think peeling paint, broken ceilings, and neglected signage that looks like it’s been through the wars. He posted his findings on X (formerly Twitter) and, well, it wasn’t pretty.
Wilkinson snapped pics of dirty steps, a dodgy elevator, and more mould than you’d find in a year-old loaf of bread. The place also seems to be a dumping ground for litter, with rubbish bins apparently abandoned for weeks. Not to mention the rusting drainpipes and neglected gardens that look like they’ve been given up on entirely. Even the once-pristine lampposts are now just rusting poles with broken bases. Talk about a glow-up gone wrong.
Now, don’t get us wrong – UCT has been around for almost 200 years and has produced some of the world’s top researchers, but it looks like it could do with a bit of TLC. Wilkinson blamed a mix of bad management and ideological distractions for the decline, comparing the campus to the state of certain South African municipalities (Ouch, UCT, Ouch).
But, fear not! UCT’s PR team has responded, claiming that the pictures only reflect a small part of the campus and that maintenance work is underway. Apparently, they’ve been busy fixing things during the holidays with skeleton staff – so, things should look better soon. We’ll see.
In the meantime, if you’re planning on visiting UCT’s upper campus, bring your own mop – just in case