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- Stellenbosch University is launching an investigation into an allegedly racist incident.
- On Sunday, a black student’s belongings were urinated on.
- Further action by the university will depend on the outcome of the investigation.
Stellenbosch University is investigating an allegedly racist incident at one of its student residences over the weekend, in which a black first-year student was targeted.
According to the SA Students Congress (Sasco), a white student broke into a black student’s room at Huis Marais residence and urinated on his belongings.
Sasco said the black student was asleep on Sunday morning when the white student entered his room and urinated on his desk, books and laptops.
Sasco’s statement read:The victim … was sleeping when he heard noise in his room… When he woke up, the racist white boy was urinating on his study desk, books and on his laptop. When [questioned] by the victim, the racist response was that it is what they do to black boys.
A video that was shared widely on social media, shows a man urinating on a desk. The person who is filming asks him why he is “peeing in [his] room”. The man mumbles that he is “waiting for someone”.
Stellenbosch University’s senior director of student affairs, Dr Choice Makhetha, said the institution strongly condemns “any destructive behaviour, such as [what occurred] during the incident in the Huis Marais residence on the Stellenbosch campus”.
Makhetha added that the university would probe the incident.
“The residence management was made aware of the incident during the day [on Sunday] and it was immediately reported to the relevant university structures for urgent investigation. The residence management, in the meanwhile, also strongly condemned the incident and took steps to manage the repercussions in the residence,” Makhetha added.
The student is not living in the residence at the moment.
Based on the findings of the investigation, “necessary and decisive action will be taken”, Makhetha said.
“We are deeply concerned by this type of behaviour and as a university, wish to state in no uncertain terms, that it will not be tolerated…. What happened at Huis Marais is not acceptable and should be taken seriously.”
She added:No student comes to university to be ill-treated by another. No student has the right to diminish another’s human dignity in this way and just say sorry. The student affected is still in shock and still trying to process what just happened.
Makhetha said she sensed this when she spoke to the student on Monday morning.
“It is painful for him to experience this,” she added.
The university’s student representative council (SRC) chairperson, Viwe Kobokana, said a meeting had been scheduled with the victim and the university.
The SRC will issue a statement after the meeting on Monday, she said.
News24
