Dr Henry Hartzenberg (known as ‘Benny’) completed his medical degree at the University of Cape Town in 1975. He started a career in surgery following his internship and qualified as a neurosurgeon at Stellenbosch University in 1988.

 

He was appointed Head of Neurosurgery in 1996 at the Stellenbosch University-Tygerberg Academic Hospital complex and semi-retired at the end of 2015. He has been in full retirement since March 2020.

 

He resides in Cape Town and wrote this poem as a little remembrance of the class of 1975’s golden jubilee reunion.

50-Year UCT Medical Reunion

The 50-year reunion

I did attend

My first in the Millennium

To meet many a friend

 

What a surprise to see you all

For many, most hairs did fall

And most hair colour change did I see

That was, of course, no surprise for me

 

The cocktail evening was a huge surprise

To hear admissions from those with courage

To see and hear the great Benater alive

A real education, as usual, to hear this message

 

Thursday the third of April twenty twenty-five

Revealed a host of presentations

All so good and some with music to make you jive

And some with nature’s spectacular revelations

 

The feast was a real luxury to attend

One not to forget, and five-star did I rate

The food and drink did not end

The next reunion suggested for all to speculate

 

We pray that all and more

Will be there to attend

Hope to see most on two and not on four

In the next five years, to mix and blend

 

From a friend and colleague called Benny

Hoping to see all and many

Signing off with many thanks and no groan

To organisers and all, especially Maureen and Joan

 

— Dr Henry ‘Benny’ Hartzenberg