Following the racial abuse incident directed at Professor Fackson Banda (of the School of Journalism and Media Studies) and his family during Intervarsity in August, the Vice-Chancellor Dr Saleem Badat issued a circular informing the University community about the incident and calling on Rhodes staff and students to act against racism.
Members of the University community who witnessed or had any knowledge of the incident were invited to come forward and help to identify the person responsible for racially abusing Prof. Banda and his family.
A Rhodes student, who had witnessed the racial abuse incident, approached Dr Badat and disclosed the identity of the student. The student was then approached and requested to meet with Dr Badat, Dr Sizwe Mabizela and Dr Vivian de Klerk.
The student, at first, denied involvement in the incident. Various possible scenarios were then explained to him and he was given time to reflect and make a decision.
The student returned to Dr Mabizela’s office the following day and admitted his guilt in the incident. He brought with him two letters of apology – one addressed to Prof Banda and the other to the Vice-Chancellor’s Office.
Upon receipt of the admission of guilt statement, the matter was handed over to the University Disciplinary Tribunal. Presided over by a Proctor, the Disciplinary Tribunal exercises independent judgement in all disciplinary cases and cannot be dictated to or influenced by the Vice-Chancellor or the University.
At the hearing the student again admitted his guilt and the Proctor decided on the appropriate measure of discipline.
The sentence given to the student comprised of three parts:
(1) a suspended expulsion from the University;
(2) 50 hours of compulsory service; and
(3) submission of a five-page essay on racism and other similar intolerances that adversely affect the human right to dignity and equality as enshrined in our Constitution.
The Vice-Chancellor’s Office will facilitate a meeting between the offending student and the Banda family to enable a personal apology and explore a just reconciliation between the two parties.
The University has made a decision not to disclose the offending student’s name, preferring to place emphasis on the educational value of the disciplinary outcomes.
I wish to applaud and thank:
- Staff and students who wholeheartedly supported the Banda family;
- Staff and students who supported and actively participated in the anti-racism campaign;
- The student who, informed by an acute sense of his constitutional obligations, came forward to identify the offending student. (This was, for various reasons, a difficult issue for the student and we should celebrate and take pride in her/his willingness and courage);
- The parents of the student who identified the offending student for the support that they provided her/him; and
- Professor Banda and his family for the magnanimous manner in which they have responded to the offending student.
The events of the past month must serve as a reminder that a progressive Constitution which guarantees human dignity, human rights, equality, non-sexism and non-racialism is in and of itself inadequate. If these hard fought for values and rights are to be real and meaningful, they have to be continuously defended, promoted and asserted.