UCT faces Gaza scrutiny while job losses loom

UCT is facing a serious backlash that includes the potential withdrawal of US funding that will lead to job losses and its ability to fund its research and training, all because of its stance on Israel's war in Gaza.

- PHILIPPA LARKIN

The potential UCT funding crisis gained attention this week when US online publication Breitbart News published an article titled "UCT Launches Witch Hunt After Breitbart News Exposé of Funding Collapse After Anti-Israel Boycott," prompting a swift response from UCT.

The article is the latest from the news outlet that is adding to the rapidly ratcheting up tensions between South Africa and America after Donald Trump was elected president.

Norman Arendse SC, the chair of the UCT Council, issued a statement on Monday defending the university and shedding light on a council meeting held the previous Saturday, March 15. He highlighted that the funding crisis is tied to a potential cut from the US National Institutes of Health, which provides UCT with over R200 million annually.