During a press conference today Friday 22 April Rhodes University students vowed to continue protests that began last Sunday until the university met their demands. Protests have sought to highlight the rape culture the protesters say is pervasive at the institution.
During a press conference today Friday 22 April Rhodes University students vowed to continue protests that began last Sunday until the university met their demands. Protests have sought to highlight the rape culture the protesters say is pervasive at the institution.
The students called their own press conference after one addressed by Vice-Chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela in the University's Eden Grove lecture complex today at 11am.
Mabizela addressed the media and explained how did the protest come about.
Meanwhile, nearby, students were waiting to hold their own alternative conference.
Referring to the #RUReferenceList naming past and present students, Mabizela said accusations without charges being laid was a violation of human rights. He said the list violated human rights.
Mabizela said academic activities would resume on Monday 25 April.
Media representatives asked students whether they would abide by the VC's statement that classes would resume on Monday.
"On that question of us going back to normal, we will not. We will shut down until our demands are met," said a representative of the students.
Mabizela said the university had established a task team, comprising staff members and students and chaired by Professor Catriona Macleod.
He said the task team would look into ways the university could strengthen its responsiveness to cases of sexual harassment or violence.
Mabizela said a task team formed on Monday immediately after the allegations of the rapists transpired compromised individuals from management and students.
However, at their press conference, the students said they had no idea who was part of the task team and that they couldn't comment on it.
"We don't know even who is part of this task team. We don't know who chose them. We don't know anything about that," the students said.
"Before we can even comment on a task team being there, like going through investigations, we need to be able to know who is in that task team.
"And most of all the task team is not a long-term solution, so we need to be aware of what is going on with those processes which is part of our demands.
"The thing is that there was a task team before and there was no visibility. That's the problem because we don't know if they are actually handling it. We cannot merely have a task team just to be there, it needs to be doing something."
The students were asked about allegations of that protesters had gone to the homes of staff and intimdated them.
The students said nothing like that had occurred. They claimed that instead, management was diverting attention from events on Wednesday when police clashed with students on campus.
"Its bullshit. We don't know anything about that," the students said. "If they are going to start speaking about intimidation and being scared, first what happened on Wednesday? Was that not intimidation from SAPS?
"If they want to speak about intimidation, the cops came here, they arrested students who were not even doing anything. As far as I'm concerned if you stand behind any barricades and you are singing protest songs, how are you being intimidating?
"They pepper sprayed those students, they shot the students. Number three, they arrested the students. That kid was crying and saying I can't breathe. She was handcuffed and a policewoman said, 'You just have to deal.' The kid was suffocating.
"Mabizela and the management called the cops. Now they would pretend as if they don't know anything. They are silencing us," said a student.
At the earlier press conference, Mabizela said the university would never tolerate gender-based violence. He said every person had a right to bodily integrity.
The VC said the university would never tolerate a rapist. He said a rapist belongs in jail and needs to stay there for a very long time.
"We acknowledge that there are flaws within the system, that are meant to ensure justice when ones rights are violated. And so our students have a right to be angry.
"Society fails survivors of rape daily, as they are often not believed and securing a conviction is excruciatingly difficult and presents a significant barrier to reporting cases of rape," Mabizela said.
"We need to debunk the ‘stranger danger’ myth, as more often than not rape is not reported because these assaults take place within intimate relationships," said Mabizela.
Mabizela came to the establishment of the task team and said it would review all policies and procedures relating to sexual offences, gathering input from all stakeholders and interested parties through open invitation.
He said it will engage in a reflective process in which the inadequacies of the present situation are highlighted and better ways of dealing with issues of sexual violence instituted.
Also it will recommend ways in which staff (including Grades 1 to 6 staff members) and student knowledge of policies and procedures may be improved in an ongoing and sustained manner.
"The team will recommend ways in which issues related to sexual violence, rape culture, and hetero-patriarchal gendered norms can be embedded in the curriculum," Mabizela said.
"It will conduct an audit of systemic issues (e.g. institutional culture; staff-student relations; relations between different grades of staff, attitudes of management, academics, students, administrative and support staff) that promote or undermine rape or sexual violence culture at Rhodes University.
"It will recommend ways in which systemic issues that promote rape or sexual violence culture may be addressed and investigate ways in which the university does, and may further, engage locally (with the immediate Grahamstown community and businesses) and nationally (e.g. policy, law, research, activism) regarding sexual violence and rape.
"The task team will develop a system of monitoring and evaluating the embedding of the recommendations within general policy and procedures of the university, and the implementation of accepted recommendations," said Mabizela.
In the short term he said the institution had committed to using external prosecutors for rape cases.
He said another task team would review the Rhodes University sexual assault protocol. The task team would feed into the work of the one chaired by Macleod.
The VC clarified that all students found guilty of misconduct including rape would have their transcript endorsed.
He said the university agreed with students on all the issues that they have raised.
Mabizela also responded to criticism of his handling of the situation.
Mabizela said the police had not come on campus as such.
"What happened on Wednesday, I think its important to clarify this.
"On Wednesday morning the entrances into the university were barricaded. Barricades were erected in Lucas Avenue, Prince Alfred Street and also on South Street," he said.
Mabizela said Lucas Avenue is a public road, adding that it was unclear whether or not Prince Alfred Street is a public road, but he confirmed that South Street is also a public road.
"So when police came here on Wednesday morning they simply said you are blocking a public road, namely this Avenue.
"They simply said you are blocking a public road and I'm informed they gave students a notice to remove the barricades and students did not comply and after giving them notice the police used pepper spray to disperse students to remove the barricades.
"I'm informed in that process two or three students were arrested," he said.
Mabizela said they then moved to other entrances and the situation on South Street became heated.
"That's where police I think used rubber bullets."
Mabizela said he felt helpless when it came to public roads.
"But those are public roads and each time I asked the police to pull back, they would simply respond and say this is a public road and that they [students]are violating the laws of the country."
Mabizela said the one areas where they have not been able to find each other with the students is in respect of the action to be taken against individuals whose names appear on the #RUReferenceList.
He said there was a view that those students whose names are on the list should be summarily removed from the university.
The VC said the university must accord all students the right to a fair trial in line with Section 35 of the Constitution.
"The University wishes to express its disquiet with the publication of a list of names of people in the manner that this was done, as it is extremely damaging and unconstitutional.
"Rhodes University cannot condone the sharing of such information which is a complete violation of another’s rights. It destroys the presumption of innocence and takes away an individual’s rights in line with Section 35 of the Constitution.
"The University believes that if after being charged and found guilty of having committed rape or sexual assault, perpetrators must be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
"Following the release of the #RUReferenceList a group of protesters went from residence to residence hunting down those whose names appeared on the list.
"These students were held against their will… this violates their constitutional rights. The University expresses its disapproval of this practice," said Mabizela.
On conclusion, Mabizela said the academic programme would resume on Monday 25 April. He said discussions would continue throughout the curriculum. Mabizela called on people to continue raising awareness.
He said people should never shy away from confronting some of the most pernicious and shameful ills of society.
Mabizela said no one should rest until the scourge of rape and sexual violence was permanently eradicated from society.
He said Rhodes University stood in solidarity with all survivors of rape and sexual violence.
He said on yesterday on Thursday 21 April, that one of those accused in a social media post had distanced himself from the accusations against him.
Mabizela said the man had released a personal statement saying he was not guilty and was willing to co-operate with authorities.
