WATCH: More racism allegations at Stellenbosch University after student urinates on desk
The university says it will release a detailed statement on the incident.
A general view of Stellenbosch University on 12 June 2020 in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Picture: Gallo Images/Ashley Vlotman
Fresh allegations of racism against Stellenbosch University have emerged following an incident over the weekend.
It is alleged by the South African Students Congress (Sasco) that a white student broke into a black student’s room at Huis Marais residence in the early hours of Sunday morning and urinated on his books and laptop.
“Sasco condemns with the highest contempt the racist actions of the racist hooligan who attacked a fellow black student.
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“On the morning of May 15, the said racist trespassed and racially attacked the first year black student in his room in Huis Marais in Stellenbosch University,” Sasco’s statement reads.
“The victim of this hooligan was sleeping when he heard a noise in his room. When he woke up, the racist white boy was urinating on his study desk, books and on his laptop.
“When asked by the victim, the racist response was that it is what they do to black boys,” the student organisation alleged.
The university’s spokesperson Martin Viljoen told The Citizen on Monday that the institution will release a detailed statement later in the day.
The university came under fire in March this year after tweeting a picture of mostly white women, from the institution’s top and senior management level, in celebration of International Women’s Day.
In the tweet – which read that under the theme “Break the Bias” – the university said the women would share their views around the achievement of women’s equality, prompting backlash from Sasco and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) at the time.
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Another incident saw the university launching an investigation after a residence head used the k-word.
“While the use of the word is no doubt unacceptable in our society, the university’s understanding at present is that the word was not used as a racial slur, but in a very specific context, namely in a conversation that dealt with what would be unacceptable references and behaviour in student communities,” Viljoen told TimesLIVE in February.
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