Rhodes slammed for rape policy

RHODES University’s sexual harassment policy or lack thereof has been dragged under the microscope at the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE).

This following protests around rape culture at the university earlier this year‚ sparked by the circulation of a “Reference List” on social media‚ naming alleged rapists.

This is one of the reasons the university has been called to give an account of its gender transformation progress‚ in a probe by the CGE.

Vice-chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela told the commission that the university’s sexual harassment policy is now under review. “Before the protests we thought we were doing what we could [to deal with sexual violence] but what came out of the protests is that more needs to be done.”

The commission had criticised Rhodes for the outdated policy that dealt with “rape and sexual violence as if it can be dealt with over the [negotiating] table”.

Mabizela said Rhodes had made provision for complainants of rape to meet and speak with their alleged rapists without disciplinary proceedings being instituted‚ for which he came under fire.

“In terms of the Sexual Offences Act you can’t mediate rape. So we are struggling with this notion that you have [to facilitate discussions]‚” commissioner Lindelwa Bata said.

Bata said she understood the university’s difficult position in assisting rape victims‚ but asked whether or not it had a responsibility to report rape cases to the police.

Mabizela said the university did not mediate rape but had to be sensitive to students who did not wish to take action against their perpetrators.

He also highlighted the fact that rape victims had lost confidence in the state’s capacity to successfully prosecute rape.

“The level of successful prosecution of rape is so low in the state that people are not willing to report. So if I were to say to the students‚ ‘if you report a case of a rape‚ the university will not do anything other than pass it on to the police’‚ they would not report.”

The commission said the year-long suspension given to some sexual offenders‚ following disciplinary hearings‚ was not enough as rapists need to be identified as such for the protection of society.