Peter du Preez, Professor of Psychology at UCT from 1977 to 1999, and Emeritus Professor from 2000 onwards, has died, aged 83.  After school in Potchefstroom, Peter obtained a BSc degree at Wits University, and started his career as a high school Biology teacher.  He obtain

ed a PhD degree from UCT in 1964.  After a period at Rhodes University, he took up a position at UCT, where he remained, with promotions to Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, and Professor in 1977.  He was Head of Department for three terms, the last being 1990 to 1992.  Peter published several books, including Politics of identity: Ideology of the human image (Blackwell, 1980), A Science of mind : The quest for psychological reality (Academic Press, 1991), Genocide: The psychology of mass murder (Boyars/Bowerdean, 1994), and an earlier novel, Dangerous connections (Buren, 1974).  Apart from his teachings and writings – of great quality - he was an avid walker of the Western and Eastern Cape mountains, and introduced many former and present members of the department to the pleasures of hiking.