A “racist incident” in which a student from an elite South African university around Cape Town urinated on the things of a fellow student has led to nationwide attention and criticism in the country.
On Sunday morning, a white student went inside a black student’s room when he was not there in Stellenbosch University’s (SU) residence and urinated on his things, stating that this is what white people do to blacks.
The alleged suspect was immediately suspended from the University on Monday, 16 May, after a video in which the whole incident was captured was exposed to the public and reported by local media people.
On Tuesday, 17 May, the Portfolio of South African Parliament on Higher Education, Innovation and Science stated the video is “repulsed and appalled” and criticised the “act of racism and discrimination.”
Its statement also called upon the management of the University, the Student Representative Council as well as student community to forge alliances to construct a “non-racial and inclusive institution.”
The management of the University, the South African Student Congress, along with social media users criticised the incident, and many students of various races conducted a protest at the University on Monday.
Su was established in 1859 as a seminary and then became a university in 1918, and it was a university for white students in the past. During the 2021 academic year, 54.5% of its students were white, and 22.5% were, as per the official data.
As per the sources, the accused has been identified as Theuns Du Toit, aged 25, and he is witnessed saying, “It is a White thing, boy,” when Babalo Ndwayana, aged 20, recorded him.
Babalo Ndwayana stated that after his senior started urinating, his initial thought was to fight with him, but a neighbour who heard everything came running and told him to film the whole thing.
A white student urinates all over a black first year students room, claims this what 'they' do to black boys. I cannot keep quiet about this, justice need to be served. I urge you to play your part so this cannot be covered up pic.twitter.com/kbPVZuP6YT
— Simangaliso (@Wanda_Smash) May 15, 2022