UKZN Students and Staff take a stand against Sexual Violence on Campus

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“Stand Up and Speak Out Against Sexual Violence on Campus!” was the call made at the recent Sexual Violence Awareness Campaign hosted by the College of Law and Management Studies Student Support Services at the Westville campus.

This campaign was initiated by Paulette Naidoo, who, through her therapeutic contact with clients, recognised the need for greater awareness about sexual violence on campus. The informative event saw the University community being empowered with knowledge on how to protect themselves from being victims of sexual abuse as well as what to do and where to go to get help if they do become victims of sexual and domestic violence.

The audience was addressed by guest speakers, Sergeant Bongiwe Zondo from the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Ms Yonwaba Mncedane from the Thuthuzela Care Centre.

Zondo’s address titled: “The Role of SAPS in the Management of Sexual Violence: Reporting Procedures and Interventions” detailed what constitutes a criminal act in sexual violence.

‘Most of the sexual violence cases reported from campus involve alcohol and ex-boyfriends. The rape occurs after a night of partying or when the victim let her ex-boyfriend into her room despite the fact that the relationship has ended. My advice is please keep yourself safe, especially after consuming alcohol as these cases are the hardest to investigate and to always seek help and counselling,’ she said.

“The Role of Thuthuzela Care Centres in the Management of Sexual Violence in the Community” was the topic of Mncedane’s talk which encapsulated her experiences as a Victims Assistant Officer and emphasised why victims should have faith in the justice system no matter how challenging the process for justice is.

Members from UKZN’s Risk Management Services (RMS), Campus Health and Student Support Services were also on hand to respond to issues raised by the audience. These included the fear of reporting a sexual offense to the police due to the perpetrator having connections within SAPS; RMS’s jurisdiction when it comes to protecting victims and witnesses of a crime on campus and gathering the courage to reporting a sexual violence crime and overcoming the traumatic experience.

Student Support Service is planning on extending the reach of this campaign by hosting it at other campuses.

Thandiwe Jumo