The Stellenbosch University (SU) rectorate recently responded to a student memorandum demanding the implementation of a standalone gender-based violence (GBV) policy. This is according to Martin Viljoen, SU spokesperson, in correspondence with SMF News.
“Stellenbosch University acknowledges the urgency of your call and shares your commitment to ending sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV),” reads the rectorate’s response statement, which was shared with SMF News.
Kgalalelo Rakgokong (left) and Malalika Ngwenya (right), both final-year LLB students at Stellenbosch University, who co-wrote a memorandum that calls for a standalone gender-based violence (GBV) policy. The memorandum demands a clear protocol for cases reported to the university or the South African Police Service, and the Equality Unit to no longer have discretion over the referral of cases to the central disciplinary committee and law clinic staff, who have expertise in GBV and the legal issues around it, according to Rakgokong. PHOTO: Daniela Botha
‘Nothing that addresses GBV’
“[Stellenbosch] University actually does not have a separate or independent anti-GBV policy,” said Malalika Ngwenya, a final-year LLB student at SU, who co-wrote the memorandum that was delivered on 11 August. “In our memorandum, we highlight[ed] that the disciplinary [code] mentions some sort of misconduct, but not directly on violence on women or in time frames or accountability measures.”
Through their research, Ngwenya and Kgalalelo Rakgokong, also a final-year LLB student at SU who co-wrote the memorandum, found that the University of Witswatersrand and the University of Pretoria have separate, and very detailed, anti-gender-based violence policies, according to Rakgokong.
“We were looking through [SU’s] policies and [realised] they’ve got a whole bunch of things, but nothing that addresses GBV,” said Ngwenya.
According to Viljoen, the rectorate is busy implementing changes to SU’s GBV policies.
“SU is currently in the process of adopting a unified policy framework that integrates GBV, unfair discrimination, and harassment incidents,” said Viljoen.
Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Equality Unit (EqU) is located on 39 Victoria Street. A student-led initiative handed SU’s rectorate a memorandum that calls for changes to the processes of the SU EqU on 11 August, according to Malalika Ngwenya, a final-year LLB student at SU. PHOTO: Daniela Botha
Changes to Equality Unit processes
The memorandum specifically called for a change in procedures when survivors report cases to the university’s Equality Unit (EqU), according to Rakgokong.
“We don’t want the Equality Unit to have discretion on deciding whether or not a case goes to [the] CDC [central disciplinary committee],” said Rakgokong. “Any alleged offence that they receive must immediately go to the CDC and, from there, due process happens.”
Viljoen confirmed that these changes will be implemented.
“As part of SU’s commitment to addressing concerns about discretion, delays, and opacity in case handling, all SGBV cases will, after the adoption of [a] unified policy framework, be automatically referred to the office of student discipline or the central disciplinary committee, and the EqU [will not] have discretion over whether to escalate SGBV cases,” said Viljoen.
However, Ngwenya and Rakgokong were unsatisfied with the rectorate’s response.
“It was not satisfactory,” says Ngwenya. “They didn’t really touch on our demands in as much thought as we thought they were going to. They have agreed to meet and engage with us, so we’re hoping that goes well. That was a good step in the right direction.”
Stellenbosch University (SU) commenced a campus-wide gender-based violence (GBV) campaign with the theme “Together Against Gender-Based Violence”, according to Martin Viljoen, SU spokesperson. The campaign aims to raise awareness among students and staff about gender-based violence and to highlight the key role the Equality Unit plays in supporting the SU community, according to Viljoen. PHOTO: Daniela Botha
“[SU] condemns all forms of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and other infringements on human dignity, and it takes a zero-tolerance approach towards incidents of SGBV,” said Viljoen.
According to Viljoen, the university offers “multiple safe and confidential reporting options”. He recommends reporting incidents to unfair@sun.ac.za.
More information can be found on SU’s dedicated GBV website.