“On October 6, I woke up to a reality that someone had gained entry into my room via the ceiling.
“Not only they took my property, but they sexually violated me in my sleep.”
This is the message a Walter Sisulu University student at a student residence at the institution’s Nelson Mandela Drive campus sent her friends on their WhatsApp group.
The incident has thrust the burning issue of student safety on campus back into the spotlight.
On Monday, about 1,000 students marched to the office of the campus rector, Mlungiseli Jadezweni, where they handed over a memorandum of demands.
They carried placards that read: “No to rape! My vagina is not your crime scene.”
The full WhatsApp message from the rape complainant reads: “It is with great sadness I write to you this afternoon.
“On October 6, I woke up to a reality that someone had gained entry into my room via the ceiling.
“Not only they took my property, but they sexually violated me in my sleep.
“This angers me because we have been talking to the management about the issue of safety, especially about these invasions.
“Kwanele ngoku [it is enough now] something needs to be done.”
Mthatha police spokesperson Captain Dineo Koena said they were investigating a case of rape.
“No arrest has been made yet,” she said.
University spokesperson Yonela Tukwayo did not respond to questions sent to her on Monday morning.
Among the marchers’ demands was that the university increase the number of the security guards to two per block.
The residence – which has eight blocks – has only three security guards.
In the memorandum, the students also demanded that all broken roofs at the Atlanta residence be fixed immediately.
One of the female students participating in the march, Ncebakazi Mbiko, said they were marching to highlight the unsafe conditions they lived under at the university.
“Atlanta residence has eight blocks and there are only three security guards.
“It is not enough,” she said.
The SRC on Monday suspended all academic activities.
SRC president Mxolisi Zoko issued a statement to the student community on Sunday evening informing them that no classes would take place on Monday.
“As the SRC we want to put it on record that the academic enterprise is at halt from October 8.
“This comes after one of the students was sexually assaulted by a culprit who broke into the ceiling board of her room,” he said.
At the time of writing on Monday, student leaders were in a meeting with the university management.
SRC academic officer Luvo Kasa said students would return to class on Tuesday...