​​5 September 2019

Dear Colleagues and Students

PARTICIPATION IN GATHERINGS AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

The violent deaths of Uyinene Mrwetyana, the female student of the University of Cape Town (UCT), and Jesse Hess, a female student from the University of the Western Cape (UWC), have shocked all of us at Stellenbosch University (SU). These are examples of horrific gender-based violence that has become endemic in our country and even occur at universities. Sadly, SU has also had its share of such violence in recent years.

I want to confirm that SU has a zero-tolerance approach to gender-based violence and is committed to creating an environment free of gender-based violence and of equal rights for all our staff and students. SU has educational and safety measures to curb violence, as much as it is organisationally possible. Despite this, there are still individual perpetrators, whose attitudes, behaviours and actions continue to destroy other people's lives. At the University we have the mandate to act in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Students and the Unfair Discrimination and Harassment Policy, as well as our disciplinary processes. The South African Judicial System has the responsibility to deal with criminal procedures.

The SU management fully supports current initiatives to focus attention on the dire situation, and we encourage students and staff who are able to do so, to join the planned gathering in Cape Town today. SU management has contributed to the cost of bus transportation. Please click here for transport arrangements by the SRC to participate in the FIGHT BACK SA campaign.

On the Tygerberg campus the first bus to Cape Town departed from the student centre at 09:00. The second bus leaves at 11:30.

As there are test series at SU this week, the SU Rectorate and deans cannot impose on everyone to postpone assessments and other scheduled academic activities. For that reason there will not be a general shutdown, and we request organisers to respect individuals' rights and SU's academic commitments.

For those who cannot attend the gathering in Cape Town today, the Rectorate would like to invite all members of the SU management and staff to a silent observance (12:45 until 13:45) on the Rooiplein tomorrow (Friday 6 September) where our students will also be gathering. Let us demonstrate our solidarity with all who have been affected and our abhorrence of gender-based violence.

Kind regards

Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching