Rhodes University has lambasted the claims of two students who have recently been expelled from the institution.
The students claimed they were expelled for their participation in the #RUReferenceList protests last year, which saw hundreds of students shut down the university in protest against institutionalised rape culture.
The University says that it is not their involvement in the protests which lead to their expulsion, but rather the student’s involvement in, amongst others, defamation and insubordination during the protests.
Last year hundreds of Rhodes University students protested against the violence perpetuated against women on campus.
The university was shut down for two weeks.
The protests led to several students being arrested.
Now, a year and a half later, students in the front line have come under fire.
Yolanda Dyantyi is one of the students who has been banned for life from the University. She believes her expulsion is unjust.
“It was unfair ruling, it was a harsh sentence. I was not invited to the hearing and the process was flawed.”
Rhodes University believes that the students have not been entirely truthful about the outcomes of the internal investigation.
Disgruntled students also took to social media to express their dissatisfaction, claiming the university protects perpetrators in an attempt to protect the image of the institution.
Some students even gave personal accounts of how the institution failed to address instances of sexual assault.
Since the protests last year the university has set up a task team to address issues which the students raised. The university has also called on students to partner with the institution in combating cases of sexual violence.
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