Abuse besieges tertiary institutions
Students violated on campuses
Rape and violence against women at tertiary institutions has been an ongoing problem in South Africa.
Here are some incidents: Nelson Mandela University
● made headlines in October when an armed man raped one student and stabbed another at a computer laboratory on the premises.
At the time‚ university spokeswoman Zandile Mbabela said the attacker had entered the computer laboratory minutes after security personnel had patrolled the area.
The suspect was apprehended. The 30-year-old man is due to stand trial later this month.
The University of Cape
●
Town also made headlines last year when numerous students were raped on campus.
Patrick Hlomane‚ who was implicated‚ was jailed but sexual assaults at the university continued. Hlomane was given nine life sentences after he confessed to raping five students in 2015 and 2016.
In August last year‚ there had been 16 cases reported in the first half of the year. Two SRC members were also reportedly suspended amid rape allegations last year.
A student who had been raped at the university penned a blog about the ordeal and the subsequent treatment she received from the institution’s wellness centre. Rhodes University announced
● last year it had expelled a student implicated in the rape of a first-year student.
The student was barred from studying or setting foot on the campus for a decade.
While the third-year BCom student was pronounced guilty of the rape by a university panel‚ which included legal experts‚ the local deputy director of public prosecutions Malherbe Marais declined to prosecute.
In 2016‚ the son of a prominent politician in Zimbabwe‚ a popular comedian‚ a journalist and several student leaders were among 11 men accused of rape at the university.
In 2016‚ females from the
●
Wits University‚ some of whom marched barebreasted‚ embarked on a silent protest against rape and violence on the campus.
Earlier this year‚ a Wits’ newsletter reported that a former SRC member had been arrested for rape. The man was alleged to have raped a person at one of the institution’s residences.
He was dismissed from the university. –
Campaigns such as #MeToo would not have likely succeeded without the extensive media coverage it attracted globally.
The movement, which empowered women to find their voice, was inspiring and we thought that the worst may be over.
We thought no more silence and, therefore, no more suffering alone. We thought women’s grievances were finally being heard, but honestly, how true is this, particularly for women in South Africa?
Last week Friday, Khensani Maseko took a decision to end her life as a result of rape. Maseko’s death not only made me realise that South Africa had not yet reckoned with sexual violation, but also that we have not even considered the structural problems of rape, including the consequences it bears on women.
Furthermore, the lack of outrage is troubling and media’s lack of coverage of this tragedy should be equally condemned. It is truly concerning that Maseko’s death failed to make front page news in this country.
It is questionable that mainstream media in our country finds no need to cover this type of story considering the calamity of rape. Why is the media unresponsive to matters that affect women and society so greatly, yet finds it essential to headline Julius Malema, for instance, allegedly handling a rifle, which he claims was a toy gun?
Associate professor of journalism at Rhodes University, Anthea Garman, wrote in the Mail and Guardian that it was time media became rape activists, and not [mere] bystanders. Garman highlighted sexual violation as a “fundamental social wrong,” which “must be addressed by journalism”.
I have also previously
‘‘ Maseko spoke against rape even during her darkest hour
written that it was increasingly strange that influencers in the Republic are equally silent on sexual violation.
There is no reckoning from our country’s public figures. Those who have enough influence on how others understand such issues say nothing and continue to say nothing. There is no shock – no fear – no reflection on how we should deal with issues of this nature.
Interestingly, albeit very tragic, I found that Maseko succeeded in advocating against rape even during her darkest hour. I say this because shortly before committing suicide, the Rhodes University law student told the world on social media that “no one deserves to be raped”.
To be more precise, her final post not only successfully revealed that she had been a victim of rape, but her suicide soon after also revealed the detrimental effects that rape has on women, which is something that society hardly considers.
A newspaper report suggests that “some survivors feel deep shame, others anger and debilitating grief ”, however, when a young woman decides to kill herself in order to escape trauma, we need to question what we are doing wrong.
What we do know is that the statistics are horrific. Media must be condemned for being gatekeepers of sexual violation. As mentioned earlier, campaigns such as #MeToo would not have likely succeeded without the extensive media coverage it attracted globally. It’s important that our local media starts playing its role. More so since South Africa remains the world capital of rape.
I have always mentioned that there was a gap regarding what matters, politically to women in nonWestern countries versus women in Western countries. But perhaps the best way to explain my position is that I remain convinced that there can be no greater protest against rape than that demonstrated by Maseko.