A list of 11 Rhodes University students accused on social media of sexual assault sparked angry protest and demonstrations across Rhodes campus through the night and this morning.
By late last night #RUReferenceList was trending. Some of the 11 named reportedly previously or currently occupy positions of power on the university Student Representative Council.
Spontaneous protest sprang up all over the campus late last night and continued well into this morning.
A group of “concerned students” released a statement questioning the efficacy of Rhodes policies and called on management to address the problems around reporting systems that they said made it difficult for victims to report sexual assault and seek justice.
“We demand that Rhodes University immediately take steps to address the rape culture on campus, specifically the ways in which the policies and systems in place are complicit in perpetuating it.”
They called for a boycott of all academic activities today.
One of the protest leaders, Reabetswe Ralethe, a second year politics and industrial sociology student who is also part of the #chapter212 campaign, said the majority of people involved in the protests were not affiliated to any organisation.
She told Dispatch she did not know who made and published the list naming alleged rapists but said it had mobilised people across campus.
Vice Chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela and other members of management had sought to prevent groups from taking any one on the list into custody, she said.
She said the idea had been to humiliate the rapists and there had not been any violence.
“Part of the problem is that students have to attend lectures with people who assaulted them and Rhodes University management does nothing about that.”
Earlier Ralethe told student protestors that they were not embarking on a shutdown but were calling for a boycott of classes instead.
She said they had held early morning talks with the VC and he said there would be no shutdown of academics.
In a list of demands, the group of concerned students also called for the current university proctors to step down, accusing them of being callous and causing victims secondary trauma.
Other demands listed included:
- The appointment of a team to deal with cases of abuse and assault instead of the existing single Harassment Officer.
- Changes to policies, including widening the definition of rape.
- Mandatory sensitivity training for staff, including Campus Protection Unit staff.
- That those charged with sexual assault should not be allowed to run for or occupy student leadership positions.
- That those named that were on the SRC be forced to step down
- People charged with rape should be suspended from university residences and that rape charges be placed on students permanent academic records.
Rhodes University spokeswoman Catherine Deiner said the university would only comment after a senior management meeting at midday.
Rhodes University Reacts to "Reference List"
By late last night #RUReferenceList was trending. Some of the 11 named reportedly previously or currently occupy positions of power on the university Student Representative Council.
Spontaneous protest sprang up all over the campus late last night and continued well into this morning.
A group of “concerned students” released a statement questioning the efficacy of Rhodes policies and called on management to address the problems around reporting systems that they said made it difficult for victims to report sexual assault and seek justice.
“We demand that Rhodes University immediately take steps to address the rape culture on campus, specifically the ways in which the policies and systems in place are complicit in perpetuating it.”
They called for a boycott of all academic activities today.
One of the protest leaders, Reabetswe Ralethe, a second year politics and industrial sociology student who is also part of the #chapter212 campaign, said the majority of people involved in the protests were not affiliated to any organisation.
She told Dispatch she did not know who made and published the list naming alleged rapists but said it had mobilised people across campus.
Vice Chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela and other members of management had sought to prevent groups from taking any one on the list into custody, she said.
She said the idea had been to humiliate the rapists and there had not been any violence.
“Part of the problem is that students have to attend lectures with people who assaulted them and Rhodes University management does nothing about that.”
Earlier Ralethe told student protestors that they were not embarking on a shutdown but were calling for a boycott of classes instead.
She said they had held early morning talks with the VC and he said there would be no shutdown of academics.
In a list of demands, the group of concerned students also called for the current university proctors to step down, accusing them of being callous and causing victims secondary trauma.
Other demands listed included:
- The appointment of a team to deal with cases of abuse and assault instead of the existing single Harassment Officer.
- Changes to policies, including widening the definition of rape.
- Mandatory sensitivity training for staff, including Campus Protection Unit staff.
- That those charged with sexual assault should not be allowed to run for or occupy student leadership positions.
- That those named that were on the SRC be forced to step down
- People charged with rape should be suspended from university residences and that rape charges be placed on students permanent academic records.
Rhodes University spokeswoman Catherine Deiner said the university would only comment after a senior management meeting at midday.
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