Dr Nzimande speaks out on violence against women at universities

Universities and colleges have been urged to continue to implement programmes towards addressing sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) within the higher education system.

Higher Education and Training Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, commented following a video of a university student stabbing his wife at a private student residence in Belhar, Cape Town, circulated on social media.

“This kind of barbaric behaviour by males against women must be condemned and perpetrators must face the full might of the law. We cannot continue like this in our society, where as many as 38% of murders are committed against women, often by their intimate partners,” Nzimande said.

He urged both the government and the higher education sector to intensify campaigns to confront and defeat the scourge of GBV.

“I launched the Transforming MENtalities initiative, which is a multi-stakeholder partnership within the PostSchool Education and Training in South Africa, with a particular focus on mobilising men in our sector to be part of championing a world free of gender biases, stereotypes, violence and discrimination.”

He commended the arrest of a senior University of Fort Hare (UFH) employee for the alleged murder and attempted murder of employees at the university.

The accused, including nine men and a woman, appeared in the Alice Magistrate's Court in November on charges of murder and attempted murder of UFH Fleet Manager, Petrus Roets and Mboneli Vesele, who was the bodyguard to Vice-Chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu.

“We had indicated to (Police) Minister (Bheki) Cele that indeed, no stone must be left unturned in going to the reasons for the killings at Fort Hare. Without prejudging the situation, as Minister, I am deeply concerned about the latest arrest of someone inside the Vice-Chancellor's office and ostensibly responsible for the security in the institution.

“This may point to the fact that the problems at UFH may be deeper than meets the eye. I will be further engaging with Council on the latest developments, particularly given the fact that complaints have been raised with me about alleged illegal surveillance of Council and staff members,” he said.

- SAnews.gov.za