In honour of the third anniversary of the national lockdown on 27 March 2023, University of Pretoria Archives launched the Archives of Covid - 19: UP Recollections & Reflection photobook.The book reflects on the experiences of the UP community while in isolation during the global pandemic.

University of Pretoria (UP) Registrar, Professor Caroline Nicholson and the Director of the UP Archives, Prof Karen Harris, attended the recently held book launched where staff and students whose entries were selected for the book were acknowledged and awarded.

“Today, three years ago to the day, the University of Pretoria closed its doors to contact learning in the face of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic… Today, on the third anniversary of the start of the lockdown, we are gathered to remember and reflect on the impact of these events on the community of the University of Pretoria,” Prof Nicholson said.

As official statements, news reports and policy records were released during the pandemic, the UP Archives team traced, recorded and filed the development of the country into the UP Archives collection.

“But as South Africa, and the staff and students of the University adjusted to the new normal of lockdown, a sense began to develop among the staff of the Archives, of the urgent need to capture and preserve the voices, personal perspectives and experiences of the broader UP community, both staff and students,” Prof Nicholson said.

Through Prof Karen Harris’s guidance, the UP Archives launched the first COVID-19 competition in 2020, entitled “#UPStaySafe Photographic Competition” where students and staff shared photographs and selfies of their lives during lockdown. Whether it was attending online classes, working from home or doing fun activities with family, all of these images showcased the UP community making the most of their time at home.

In 2021, with the pandemic nowhere close to being over, a second competition titled “Recollecting COVID-19: 365 Days in Lockdown” was launched. For this competition submissions ranged from essays and poetry, to videos and voice notes. As South Africa entered a third year of restrictions in 2022, a final competition took place. At that point the focus was on the themes of “Loss, Pause and Hope” associated with the ongoing global pandemic.

After a long process of selecting and editing submissions, UP Archivist, Dr Bronwyn Strydom, compiled the Archives of COVID-19: UP Recollections & Reflection. The book takes readers on an emotional journey of grief, loneliness, humour, reflection and grit. It also serves as a significant record and memory of the last three years.

Winners of the competition were awarded prizes during the book launch for their creative contributions which brought the book to life. Among the winners were Dr Nico Botes, lecturer in the Department of Architecture at UP who had submitted an image of shweshwe masks hanging on a wash line, which were a vital part of everyday life during the pandemic. Godfrey Mufumadi from the Department of Security Services who was on duty during lockdown ensuring the safety of the University, was also among the winners with a photo of his toddler reaching out to touch the mask on his face. Other winners were Nokuthula Malinga who was the overall winner for the 2020 competition, with her picture of working at her desk computer with a lit candle due to load shedding.  

During the event, Prof Nicholson gave a word of thanks to the UP Archives team for their ability to see a creative opportunity for a proudly UP project during a period of uncertainty across the globe. She also thanked participants of the competitions throughout the three years for sharing their vulnerability and their resilience with the larger UP community.

Prof Nicholson concluded by saying: “As we embrace the return to normality, and in some respects willingly forget the trauma of this time we have passed through, may the images and reflections in this book ac as memorial to those who have experienced loss, grief and loneliness.  In reflecting on these experiences, we can also be filled again with gratitude for so many things which we took for granted before the pandemic made itself known.”