A student staying in Lobelia Senior Residence at Stellenbosch University (SU) recently pleaded guilty to assaulting another resident. This was according to Martin Viljoen, spokesperson for SU.
Stellenbosch University (SU) has stated, regarding gender-based violence (GBV), that they will continue to work to ensure that students at the university feel safe on campus. They also encourage students to feel empowered to address issues of GBV, according to Dr Choice Makhetha, senior director of student affairs at SU. PHOTO: Kyra Rensburg
“At a hearing that was held on 28 April 2021, a male student pleaded guilty to assault [slapping] of a female student during March 2021,” said Viljoen in written correspondence with MatieMedia.
The student was initially expelled from the university, but the expulsion was suspended on the condition that the student is not found guilty of similar misconduct for the remainder of his studies at the university, said Viljoen.
The student that was assaulted reported the incident to the residence head in March, and the case was “referred to the SU student disciplinary office and the Equality Unit (EqU) for formal investigation”, said Dr Choice Makhetha, senior director of student affairs at SU, at the time. The investigation has since concluded, and the Central Disciplinary Committee (CDC) has imposed sanctions on the student that committed the assault, said Viljoen.
Stellenbosch University (SU) students are encouraged to make use of support services such as the Equality Unit if they experience discrimination, harassment or abuse. INFOGRAPHIC: Kyra Rensburg
“The student must report to the Unit for Psychotherapeutic and Support Services, and is required to provide proof of his appointment,” said Viljoen. The sessions will be ongoing, and the student must update disciplinary bodies on the appointments. If the student fails to do so, he will be suspended from the residence for six months, Viljoen added.
The student is also required to attend a mediation at the EqU with the student assaulted, before the end of the first semester, said Viljoen.
“The aim of mediation is to provide both parties with a platform to raise their concerns, […] allowing both the complainant and respondent an opportunity to resolve any conflict,” said Michelle Munro, acting head of the EqU.
The Equality Unit (EqU) is located at the Huis Simon Nkoli House on 39 Victoria Street in Stellenbosch. Mediation at the EqU is voluntary and can only be conducted if both parties agree, according to Nadine Christians, communications and marketing coordinator at the EqU. “The role of the mediator is to facilitate the discussion enabling both parties to identify, discuss and prioritise the key issues, and to find an amicable way to resolve the matter at hand,” said Christians. PHOTO: Kyra Rensburg
The office of Pieter Kloppers, director of the Centre for Student Communications (CSC), will publish the sanctions on the relevant notice boards, to inform the cluster community of the offence, said Viljoen.
MatieMedia reached out to the relevant parties involved, as well as the residence head of Lobelia, but they were unable to speak to the media for reasons of privacy, said John Ruiters, head of Lobelia Senior Residence.
Information regarding the mediation procedure was updated in this article on 25 May 2021.