Following recent incidents of racism and alleged sexual assault at Stellenbosch University (SU), student leaders at the university led a demonstration to mobilise against racism and gender-based violence (GBV) on campus.
This event on 20 May was organised by all structures of the SU Student Representative Council (SRC) and other student bodies, according to Viwe Kobokana, chairperson of the SRC, who spoke to MatieMedia at the event.
This follows nearly a week of demonstrations on the SU campus, which started on 17 May.
Stellenbosch University student leaders led a demonstration against racism and gender-based violence on 20 May. “If the university does not give us satisfactory results from their investigations then […] we as students will go back to the streets – we will fight for what we want,” said Queen Majikijela, chairperson of the South African Students Congress Organisation, at the event. PHOTO: Nakishka Skriker
The 20 May demonstration began at the Irene Ladies Residence, followed by a march down Victoria Street to SU’s Rooiplein, where leaders from various student organisations spoke on issues of racism, sexism and queerphobia at the university.
Student leaders take action
“[Both incidents] show the culture that is perpetuated within men’s residences. It shows the culture that is being perpetuated within the community itself,” Queen Majikijela, chairperson of the South African Students Congress Organisation (SASCO) told MatieMedia at the event.
“Our mandate is that we want Theuns du Toit expelled,” stated Majikijela. If the university does not produce satisfactory results from its investigation on the incident of racism which occurred at the Huis Marais men’s residence on 15 May, further mobilisation would follow, she said.
The other incident Majikijela referred to relates to the alleged sexual assault that took place at another men’s residence at SU.
Student leaders from Stellenbosch University (SU) held a demonstration against racism and gender-based violence on 20 May. The demonstration saw hundreds of students in attendance, as they marched down Victoria Street to SU’s Rooiplein, according to SU’s official social media accounts. VIDEO: Nakishka Skriker
Majikijela was also a speaker at the #RacismMustFall rally hosted by SASCO on 18 May at SU.
“If we choose today, or if we choose now, to let these incidents go, Stellenbosch University will never change,” said Zizo Volans, deputy chairperson of SASCO Western Cape at the event.
Support from the broader university community
Members from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) United Nations of South Africa (UNASA) chapter participated in the demonstration.
Daniel Hakumdad, chairperson of UNASA UCT, expressed the chapter’s support for the SU community. After the incidents that occured on SU’s campus, the university has been forced to answer for the transgressions that have occurred, stated Hakumdad.
The racist incident exposed “the silent character of an institution that has now spent too long evading difficult questions in a constitutional era of this country’s recent history and contemporary reality”, said Hakumdad in written correspondence with MatieMedia.
Hundreds of Stellenbosch University (SU) students showed up at a demonstration led by SU student leaders on 20 May, according to SU’s official social media accounts. The students demonstrated against racism and gender-based violence, following incidents of racism and alleged sexual assault at SU. “We stand for intersectional justice,” stated Jessica Hall, from the EcoMaties sustainability society. EcoMaties held a poster-making session prior to the event, according to Hall. PHOTO: Nakishka Skriker
The next step
Prior to the demonstration, the SRC met with Prof Wim de Villiers, vice-chancellor and rector of SU, and Prof Duresh Ramjugernath, deputy vice-chancellor of learning and teaching of SU, according to Kobokana. At this meeting, student leaders brought forth proposals which included a suggestion that the June exam period be delayed by one week.
This proposal has since been adopted, according to an official statement from SU, which was communicated via SU’s official social media accounts during the demonstration.
Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Student Representative Council (SRC) chairperson, Viwe Kobokana, delivered a speech at the recent demonstration against racism and gender-based violence at SU. The demonstration took place on 20 May and was organised by all leadership structures of the SRC, according to Kobokana. AUDIO: Nakishka Skriker
By Nakishka Skriker and Tamia Retief
*Update: This article was updated to provide clarification about the organisers of the protests