Hearing begins against UCT rape accused
UCT’s student representative council (SRC) says a disciplinary hearing has begun against two of its suspended senior members accused of rape and sexual harassment.
UCT SRC secretary-general and former EFF student command chairperson Sinawo Thambo has been accused of raping a student, while Pasma member and undergraduate academics co-ordinator Masixole Mlandu is alleged to have sexually harassed a student.
The SRC yesterday said the two had been issued with notice to suspend them. The matter has been referred to UCT’s discrimination and harassment office for investigation.
In a statement, the UCT SRC Pasma caucus welcomed Mlandu’s suspension, saying they had always maintained that when a case was brought against anyone for sexual harassment, the accused must be suspended pending investigation.
Pasma said it had engaged Mlandu on the matter and he and the student he allegedly harassed had agreed on the facts of the incident. The incident allegedly took place in Mlandu’s room in Liesbeek after a night out in Rondebosch.
“Since the facts of the matter as relayed to us do not seem to have any contradiction, it appears that what is at stake here is the understanding of what is sexual harassment from comrade Masixole. We have, therefore, suggested that the comrade must apologise to the student and commit himself to a rehabilitation process while an investigation is pending on what are the legal implications of his actions,” said Pasma.
Mlandu was at the forefront of the Rhodes Must Fall and Fees Must Fall protests at UCT.
The EFF student command said it concurred with the suspension of its former chairperson at UCT pending investigations within the organisation, the SRC and other relevant committees.
“We note the recent allegations tabled against the former chairperson of the EFF Students’ Command UCT branch,” the organisation said in a statement. “As it is carefully stipulated in our constitution, the Students’ Command is not only opposed to, but committed to fighting all violence and oppression imposed on women and other gendered persons.
“The Students’ Command regards rape to be the highest stripping away of someone’s dignity. Henceforth we take the brought forth allegations very seriously.”
UCT spokesperson Elijah Moholola said the university had services available to support students affected by these alleged incidents. “We urge everyone in the UCT community to abide by the principle that when allegations are levelled against any individual, it is the work of the legal and disciplinary processes to deal with the matter and alleged perpetrators are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law or through a disciplinary process,” he said.
“UCT is pursuing this matter urgently and we appeal all to allow the legal processes to follow due course.”