Good evening honoured guests, colleagues and students.

My name is Brandon Collier-Reed, and I am the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Teaching and Learning at the University of Cape Town. I am privileged to represent the executive leadership at this event, with our Vice-Chancellor Professor Mosa Moshabela currently out of the country.

We gather to mark five years since the events of 18 April 2021 – a day that left an indelible mark on this university and on all who call UCT home. It is a moment that many of you remember with striking clarity: the fire on the slopes of the mountain, the uncertainty that followed, and the profound awareness that something irreplaceable had been lost.

Many members of this community have, in recalling that fateful day, told stories of urgency, stories of loss, but also stories of courage and collective resolve. In listening to these stories, one comes to appreciate not only what was taken from this Institution, but what was revealed about it.

At the heart of that loss was the Jagger Library – far more than a structure of stone and glass. It was a place where ideas converged, where histories were preserved and where generations of scholars found both knowledge and belonging. I, myself, spent many hours siting at those beautiful wooden tables. The Jagger’s destruction disrupted more than physical space; it unsettled the rhythms and identity of academic life itself.

Yet, if this anniversary asks us to remember, it also asks us to reflect on what has followed.

In the days immediately after the fire, we witnessed extraordinary acts of humanity. Staff and students, firefighters, volunteers and partners from across the world came together with determination and care. Thousands of items were salvaged. Expertise and support flowed in from far beyond our campus. In that moment of crisis, the very best of this institution was visible for all to see.

That spirit did not fade with time. It has carried us through five years of recovery – a process that has been complex, deliberate and, at times, difficult. Importantly, it has not been about restoring what once was. Instead, it has challenged us to think more deeply about what a contemporary university library should be as we focus on the future.

We have had to ask difficult but necessary questions: How do we preserve knowledge in ways that are both secure and accessible? How do we balance the tangible value of physical collections with the reach and resilience of digital systems? And how do we create spaces that reflect the diversity, aspirations and lived realities of our community?

The answers to these questions are shaping the work now underway.

The rebuilding of the Jagger precinct is not simply a construction project – it is part of a broader reimagining of the university’s library system. Guided by a dedicated Project Implementation Committee, this effort brings together expertise from across the institution to ensure that recovery is thoughtful, coordinated and sustainable. It is grounded in careful stewardship of available resources, while also holding a long-term vision for the role of libraries within the university.

What is emerging is a plan that situates Jagger within a wider network of knowledge spaces across campus – one that integrates preservation, research, digital access and community engagement. The renewed facility will not only restore what was lost, but will offer a more resilient, inclusive and future-facing environment: a place where advanced technology and human connection coexist, where collections are protected and shared, and where scholarship can flourish in new ways.

This work is ongoing, and there is much still to be done. But it is guided by a clear sense of purpose – and by the understanding that from loss can come meaningful renewal.

Our commemoration this year is captured in the theme “Opportunity in Loss”. It is a theme that does not diminish the pain or the trauma of what was experienced. Rather, it acknowledges that even in moments of devastation, there is the possibility to rebuild with greater intention.

Over the coming weeks, a series of exhibitions and events will invite us all to engage with this journey. They trace the arc from loss to recovery, and from recovery to renewal. They honour the efforts of those who acted in the immediate aftermath, and they open space for reflection on what lies ahead.

The exhibition itself has been thoughtfully curated across the Jagger precinct. Importantly, it has been opened to the broader public – extending this story beyond the university to schools, communities and all who value the preservation of knowledge.

We also take this moment to recognise the extraordinary support received over these past five years. We acknowledge the firefighters who protected this campus under immense pressure; the staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to recover what they could; the scholars and institutions across the world who stood in solidarity; and the alumni, donors, and members of the public whose contributions have made recovery possible.

This has been a collective effort in the truest sense.

At its core, a university is a custodian – not only of knowledge, but of memory, inquiry and the intellectual life of generations. That responsibility was tested in April 2021. But it was not diminished. If anything, it has been strengthened.

As we stand here today, we do so with humility – in recognition of what was lost and the impact it had on so many. But we also stand with resolve. Resolve to carry forward the lessons of that day. Resolve to build spaces and systems that are more inclusive, more resilient and more responsive to the needs of those who will come after us.

This is but part of an ongoing story – a story of a university that, even in the face of profound loss, continues to reimagine itself with purpose and with care.

Thank you.