SU racism victim opens criminal case
CRIMINAL complaints have been filed with the police, following the alleged racist incident at Stellenbosch University (SU).
Police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk said the 20-year-old complainant lodged complaints of housebreaking, malicious damage to property and crimen injuria at Stellenbosch police station yesterday.
Video footage by the student, Babalo Ndwayana, captures a white student urinating on his desk at Huis Marais residence during the early hours of Sunday.
Van Wyk said no arrests were made as yet. On Monday, SU said it had suspended the student involved and would investigate.
More organisations have joined in condemning the incident.
The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Innovation said it was appalled and repulsed by the footage.
Chairperson Nompendulo Mkhatshwa said it unequivocally condemned the act of racism and discrimination, and welcomed the suspension and removal of the student from the university premises.
The committee called on the university to make its findings public and said it would engage with the institution’s leadership and the Department of Higher Education and Training
The EFF Student Command called for the immediate expulsion of the alleged perpetrator.
“Stellenbosch University has been well-known to be anti-black for decades; where even those who were part of the #Luister protests in 2015 were seen as enemies of progress, instead of people calling for transformation and decolonisation in the institution,” it said.
The ANC in the Western Cape said there was an increasing trend of instances of racism emerging from the university and that the management’s response to it was lacklustre.
Social Justice Agency managing director, Edwin Cleophas, said: “Unfortunately, racism is seen as incidental instead of systemic and institutional. Therefore, the university and other institutions only act when there is an incident, when in fact they should be working on this systemic issue 12 months of the year if we are going to make any kind of impact.”
SU said it strongly condemned any form of racism or intolerant behaviour based on racial or any other prejudice.
“The University deeply values respect, compassion, equity, accountability and excellence in all its interactions and conduct. The institution has an ongoing programme of promoting inclusivity and transformation in all aspects of the university.
“Discriminatory acts undermine this approach as supported by the university and the overall majority of the staff and students.
“Sadly, individuals acting on their own individual and personal prejudice undermines the university’s overall efforts towards creating a welcoming atmosphere for all at this excellent institution of higher learning,” a SU statement read.
“It said permanent expulsion and/ or criminal charges against the alleged perpetrator has not been ruled out.