A national gender-based discussion event ended in chaos yesterday when Rhodes University students hurled abuse and bottles at Deputy Higher Education Minister Mduduzi Manana.
A visibly rattled Manana was escorted through the mob by bodyguards and university security staff to a waiting car which raced away – almost hitting a student.
The student, who suffered a panic attack and collapsed, was taken away by ambulance to hospital for treatment.
The planned national gender-based dialogue had hardly started when a dozen students from the #RUreferencelist stood up, waving placards claiming they had not been invited to the meeting.
Some students stripped down to their underwear during the protest as organisers pleaded with them to allow the dialogue to continue as planned.
The dialogue, which attracted representatives from 13 South African universities, 21 colleges, police and the justice and education departments, as well as civil society groups, quickly turned to chaos when vice-chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela addressed the crowd.
Booed by a small group of students when he was introduced, Mabizela said it was hoped the dialogue would go a long way towards stamping out the scourge of gender and sexual violence at higher education institutions.
The small group of protesters said they had not been consulted or invited to the dialogue despite being the ones who had got the ball rolling by staging the anti-rape culture protests four months ago that quickly spread to other campuses.
They disagreed over the composition of invited speakers and said Mabizela should not be involved.
Although the dialogue was being held at Rhodes, it was stressed that the university did not organise it.
Protesters demanded that the university withdraw its interdict against students arrested at a campus protest four months ago and that students identified on the #RUreferencelist as alleged rapists be suspended before any dialogue could be held.
Unidentified protesters said the university and leadership were “totally out of touch” with what was happening on campus.
Attempts to get comment from Manana proved fruitless after he left the conference room and took refuge elsewhere in the building.
Mabizela, however, told the Dispatch later that it was unfortunate the dialogue had been suspended before it even started.
According to Mabizela, the university was hosting the inaugural dialogue on behalf of the Department of Higher Education.
He said he was unable to comment on the interdict as it was still playing out in the high court.
Mabizela called on students who had been sexually violated to report the cases to the university so they could take action. — davidm@dispatch.co.za
Gender debate ends in chaos
A visibly rattled Manana was escorted through the mob by bodyguards and university security staff to a waiting car which raced away – almost hitting a student.
The student, who suffered a panic attack and collapsed, was taken away by ambulance to hospital for treatment.
The planned national gender-based dialogue had hardly started when a dozen students from the #RUreferencelist stood up, waving placards claiming they had not been invited to the meeting.
Some students stripped down to their underwear during the protest as organisers pleaded with them to allow the dialogue to continue as planned.
The dialogue, which attracted representatives from 13 South African universities, 21 colleges, police and the justice and education departments, as well as civil society groups, quickly turned to chaos when vice-chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela addressed the crowd.
Booed by a small group of students when he was introduced, Mabizela said it was hoped the dialogue would go a long way towards stamping out the scourge of gender and sexual violence at higher education institutions.
The small group of protesters said they had not been consulted or invited to the dialogue despite being the ones who had got the ball rolling by staging the anti-rape culture protests four months ago that quickly spread to other campuses.
They disagreed over the composition of invited speakers and said Mabizela should not be involved.
Although the dialogue was being held at Rhodes, it was stressed that the university did not organise it.
Protesters demanded that the university withdraw its interdict against students arrested at a campus protest four months ago and that students identified on the #RUreferencelist as alleged rapists be suspended before any dialogue could be held.
Unidentified protesters said the university and leadership were “totally out of touch” with what was happening on campus.
Attempts to get comment from Manana proved fruitless after he left the conference room and took refuge elsewhere in the building.
Mabizela, however, told the Dispatch later that it was unfortunate the dialogue had been suspended before it even started.
According to Mabizela, the university was hosting the inaugural dialogue on behalf of the Department of Higher Education.
He said he was unable to comment on the interdict as it was still playing out in the high court.
Mabizela called on students who had been sexually violated to report the cases to the university so they could take action. — davidm@dispatch.co.za
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