Fund-raising campaign buys pepper sprays for UCT students

ABOUT 700 UCT students so far have received pepper spray to protect themselves on campus.

The fund-raising campaign to buy the sprays, which was initiated by a group of young women, including UCT students, has raised R115 885 to date.

UCT law postgraduate student Samantha Perkins said the drive was proving to be a success.

“Through the assistance of other students, we have managed 142 pepper spray cans at Roscommon House, where Uyinene (Mrwetyana) stayed, and 598 cans were distributed outside UCT residence Tugwell Hall.”

The 22-year-old said their initial target was R30 000, and they were surprised when they quickly exceeded that.

Student Nomazwi Nkoane said they wanted to take a stand by saying: “I will not be next.”

“We are buying and distributing the pepper sprays because we all need them.

“There is so much wrong being done to women. The latest incidents have proven that nowhere is safe.

‘‘It is our hope that this will at least make a small difference to the safety of women in the interim before the government implements any measures.”

Nkoane said there had been only two rounds of distributions, but the campaign was hoping to do more, depending on how much money they could raise.

“We also want assist other institutions and branch out to other areas, as we have done only the places we are familiar with, but it would depend on the funds and the number of hands on deck.

‘‘We ask the public to continue standing with us by supporting the initiative.”

The campaign was initiated after a recent spate of femicide and gender-based violence cases, including the rape and murder of Mrwetyana.

Mrwetyana was a first-year student who was raped and killed on August 24 in the Clareinch Post Office in Claremont.

To donate towards the drive, visit https://t.co/unHhCoYfhI?amp=1.

“We ask the public to continue standing with us by supporting the initiative Samantha Perkins UCT student