Cape Times 2022-05-20

From page 1 “I’m pretty sure I remember our house father shouted at him, but that’s as much as I can recall. It was a hush-hush thing. All I can say is that I can confirm that it did happen and the circumstances surrounding it were very questionable and were very similar to this recent incident. “At the time I didn’t know that this peeing situation could be racially motivated. It was a white Afrikaans boy peeing in the room of a black student. “But it was not addressed and the conversation about whether it could be racially motivated certainly did not come about the way it is now,” he said. Stellenbosch University spokesperson Martin Viljoen said they would review records regarding the alleged 2018 incident and respond in due…

From page 1 Police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk said the circumstances surrounding the incident were being investigated by the Stellenbosch Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit. “It is alleged that the incident occurred at about 10.30pm on Tuesday at a residence in Victoria Street Stellenbosch,” he said. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the accused could not be in contact with the complainant as a condition of bail. “He is charged with two counts of rape. The court set his bail at R1 000 on condition that he must not be in contact with the complainant. “His case was postponed until June 29 for further investigation,” Ntabazalila said. The university said it was “deeply distressed” by the incident. “In accordance with its established procedures…

COSATU has described the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture’s planned R22 million flag project as “embarrassing and ludicrous”. The trade union federation called for the project to be scrapped immediately, adding that there was no room for a review on the matter. It said the department should rather concentrate on service delivery than vanity public relations. After heavy criticism, Minister Nathi Mthethwa said his department had placed the project under review. The department announced this week that it would be embarking on a project that would employ more than 140 people, saying it would be a “symbol of unity and national pride” which would inspire “social cohesion”. However, Cosatu spokesperson Sizwa Pamla made it clear there was no room for such a project during these tough economic times. He…

FACTIONAL in-fighting within the ANC is believed to be at the centre of a suspiciously classified intelligence report by the State Security Agency (SSA), which Independent Media will challenge in court to have it declassified and laid bare for its readers. The report, whose content cannot be fully disclosed since the matter will be heard behind closed court chambers in Pretoria next Tuesday, was allegedly compiled by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) spies based at the US embassy in Pretoria. It was later shared with the SSA before concerned sources leaked it to the Daily News, one of the publications belonging to Independent Media. When the Daily News asked questions about it in December last year, the SSA dashed to court and successfully obtained an interim interdict until the matter…

A WEEK after Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula visited Siyahlala informal settlement residents and said vacant land had been found for them to move to by November, no further details have been forthcoming from his office. Mbalula’s acting spokesperson Lawrence Venkile did not respond to multiple questions on the newly identified land. During a visit to Langa last Friday, to assess progress in bringing back the Central Line, Mbalula had engaged with community leaders on the planned relocation of the informal settlements on the rail infrastructure. Mbalula told residents that his department has identified vacant land which they will move to by November. Residents whose homes are built on railway tracks have meanwhile said they will not move from the area without being shown the newly identified land. Siyahlala informal settlement…

NINE UCT students have been removed from the institution’s residences following allegations of rape, sexual assault and homophobia levelled against them. Protests erupted at Roscommon House, an off-campus residence, on Wednesday night when students demanded action against eleven peers who they said they did not feel safe around. “The GBV culture in Roscommon has been prolonged thus far due to the alienation of the residence from other UCT residences. “It has been clear that the university leadership has continuously failed to protect and ensure the safety of students and survivors in the house,” the SRC said in a statement. The students are also calling on UCT management to review existing sexual assault and harassment policies. “(We) urge the university to practise the inclusivity of Roscommon House & other semi-private UCT…