Chairperson of the House Committee at the residence at Wits University, Nkululeko Tsekane, says the university drags its feet on issues of sexual violence and does not take them seriously.

This comes after a student was raped at Wits Junction residence three weeks ago.

The media was barred from a meeting on Thursday night at Wits University’s Junction Residence, at which students engaged with management.

Tsekane says he is disappointed in the manner in which the case was dealt with. He says the suspect was allowed to remain in the same residence without regard for the complainant’s well-being.

“Both stay at the same residence, in the same block and the same building. She would run into him into the hallway, laundry room and because of the continued trauma, she attempted suicide. Once the residents found out about the situation, how management kept them in the same residence, they took it upon themselves to remove him from the res.”

Meanwhile, Wits Gender Equity Office’s Professor Bonnie Meyersfeld says they have been responsive to the complaint.

“Ours is not about appeasing external views, it’s about being sure that we’re absolutely responsive to the complainants and on that score I can give the assurance that that process has absolutely been undertaken. If you’ve got a group of students, who feel unsafe, who feel unprotected and who feel disappointed, measures must be taken. There must be accountability for it because it’s unacceptable.”