The Oppidan Press

#RUReferenceList

Edition 3. 4 May 2016

2 / The Oppidan Press / Ed 3

18 April 2016

Students attempt to explain the purpose of their protests outside the Drama Department. They are met
with much resistance by the police who respond by stating the laws of the country. Photo: JOSHUA STEIN.

Dr Mabizela addresses the students in response to the first set of demands given to management.
Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

Ed 3 / The Oppidan Press / 3

Students march down to Eden Grove to disrupt lectures and encourage students to partake in the
protest movement. Photo: JOSHUA STEIN.

Nandipha Nena Mbangula protests against

rape culture after Dr Mabizelas first public announcement on the #RUreferencelist. She felt
that management did not understand the pain
of the victims. Photo: VICTORIA BRIGGS.

Dr Mabizela tries to explain to an unsatisfied student why the university stood by its adherence to the
Constitution. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

4 / The Oppidan Press / Ed 3

(Ed 3) Contents
Page 2: Photostory, 18 April
Page 5: #RUReferenceList
Page 6: Photostory, 19 April
Page 8: Vocabulary
Page 9: Chapter 2.12
Page 10: Photostory, 20 April
Page 12: Carlas Statement
Page 13: Interview with Natasha
Page 14: Photostory, 21 April
Page 16: Guilt
Page 17: Identifying the enemy
Page 18: Photostory, 22 April
Page 20: Trigger Warnings
Page 21: Editorial
Page 22: Photostory, 23-24 April

TW: The content of this edition may be

highly triggering to many as it focuses on the

issues of the protests and experiences of many
that were present. We therefore wish to warn
you of the content as it addresses rape, sexual
assault and police brutality

Ed 3 / The Oppidan Press / 5

#RUReferenceList
The outcry over rape culture at Rhodes University lead to national attention.
#RUReferenceList lay at the centre of this coverage.
Ashleigh Dean

rotests opposing systemic

rape culture at Rhodes University, and the
institutions alleged failures to
address cases of sexual assault,
have been ongoing since Sunday
17 April.
Protests were instigated following the anonymous publication of
a list of 11 Rhodes students (past
and present) accused of rape and/
or sexual assault. The list, entitled
RU Reference List, was published on Sunday, 17 April on the
Facebook page RU Queer Confessions, Questions and Crushes,
which has since been deleted.
The post was then shared onto
the Rhodes SRC Facebook page,
rapidly capturing attention across
campus.
Students congregated and began marching to the residences of
some of the accused, mobilising
more students on the way. Two of
the accused were forcibly brought
out from their residences, before
assembling at Purple Square (outside the Drama department). One
of the accused was released, and
the second was forced by protesters to remain at Purple Square
until Monday morning.
Barricades were erected on
Prince Alfred Street during these
protests, before being removed by
management preceding the start
of the academic day. Protesters
submitted a list of demands to
management around 9am, continuing demonstrations throughout the day, with marches around
campus mobilising students and
disrupting academic activities.
Vice-Chancellor Dr. Sizwe Mabizelas response to the demands
at 4pm was perceived as complacent and failing to provide a

viable solution to the demands by

protesting students. Students met
at 7pm to address this, concluding
with the establishment of a partial
shutdown: a suspension of academic activities on campus, with
operations such as the Health
Care and Counselling Centres
and dining halls operating as
usual. However, management did
not recognise the legitimacy of
the shutdown, allowing lectures
and tutorials to continue. These
were disrupted throughout the
day on Tuesday by the protestors.
Students gathered at Purple
Square again on Tuesday afternoon. A #NakedProtest also took
place, with many students protesting topless and bearing messages
such as still not asking for it on
their skin. The situation was tense
due to a strong police presence,
until Mabizela persuaded the
South African Police Services
(SAPS) to leave. Mabizela then
addressed the students, stating
that police were not allowed on
campus.
Barricades remained up and
guarded by students overnight.
However, just after 8am on
Wednesday, police began shooting at students with rubber bullets
and discharging pepper spray
and stun grenades at the Lucas
Avenue and South Street entrances to campus. Five students
were arrested on various charges,
including obstruction of a public
road. One of the students had a
panic attack in the back of a police van, which was ignored by the
surrounding officers. The students
remained in the van for over an
hour before being driven around
town, and then taken to the Joza
Police Station. Once the court
received the charge sheets, the
hearing proceeded, commencing

at 4pm so that the students would

not be detained overnight.
Campus was officially closed on
Thursday and Friday, with management stating that the academic
project would proceed as usual
on Monday, 25 April. Members of
university management laid an interdict against protesters, restricting their legal scope of action by
criminalising the disruption of
lectures and the barricading of
entrances to campus. The VC gave
a media-only press conference at
11am on Friday, which was followed by a press conference held
by the student body and the task
team appointed to address the
issue.
The VC stated that the students have a right to be angry,
and that, one rape is too many.
Rhodes University will never
protect a rapist. Mabizela also
apologised for pushing a student
off of the Prince Alfred street barricade on Wednesday morning, in
an attempt to clear the road.
An open forum was held for all
Rhodes students, staff, and senior
management on Saturday at 3pm,
which was followed by a meeting
at the Drostdy Lawns with the
student body, academic staff, and
National Education, Health and
Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU), where managements
response to the demands was read
out.
Following a vigil held on the
Sunday evening, it was decided
that the best way to continue
protest within the scope of the
interdict was to encourage lecturers to use their allotted times to
facilitate discussion around rape
culture. These were supplemented
by talks held by the Critical Studies in Sexualities and Reproduction (CSSR).

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Ed 3 / The Oppidan Press / 7

19 April 2016
Students gather at the Purple Square outside the Drama Department for the #NakedProtest. Numerous male and female students removed
their shirts and held signs to protest against rape culture. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

While the #Nakedprotest was met with resistance from SAPS, protesters refused to move or be intimidated. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

The police threaten to use force if the students contravene the law. The crowd then join hands in solidarity to display their peaceful and
unintimidating approach to protesting. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

Abongile Milani James shows her anger towards the police officers after they intimidated and argued with her. Students were met with
more resistance than expected from the police, but they maintained their convictions and stood together. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

8 / The Oppidan Press / Ed 3

Chapter 2.12 explained

Words to get Woke

During the protest, certain terms proved to be incredibly important. The Oppidan
Press chose those that came up the most to define for you.
Patriarchy

Rape culture

Feminism

Consent

An unjust social system that consistently places men

in positions of dominance over women. This has a
profound effect on society as a whole, through constantly undermining women, as well as feminine traits
in both genders, and contributing to a cycle of social
and economic discrimination. The patriarchy is subtly
manifested through the lack of female leaders and the
pay-gap as well as the overriding violence and microaggressions directed at women in their daily lives.
A movement for equal rights regardless of gender.
Feminism is not about the superiority of women, but
is rather about the promotion and struggle for equality
between genders based on history of oppression of people assigned female at birth. E.g. Feminism is necessary
because women are still paid less for the same work in
most Western economies.

Intersectional feminism

Intersectionality, the core concept of intersectional feminism, is a concept used to describe the ways in which
racism, sexism, homophobia etc. are interconnected
and cannot be studied or examined separate from one
another. For example, a white cisgendered woman could
not understand, never mind represent the struggles of a
black, queer woman, and this is why it is essential that
all sections are considered and represented adequately
as they are all interconnected.

Rape

A type of assault usually involving sexual intercourse or

other forms of penetration perpetrated against a person
without that persons consent.

This is the normalisation of male violence in our society

due to oppressive attitudes particularly with regards to
gender and sexuality. Part of rape culture is the victimblaming of sexual assault victims and slut-shaming of
womens sexuality.
As said by Natasha Piprek: Rape culture is such a huge
thing, it is not just about rape either, it encompasses
sexual violence and even domestic violence to an extent
and just basically dominating other people, through sex.
To give permission for something to happen. With
regards to sexual consent, this is what is required to have
been given by both partners before any bodily contact
is made. Without this consent, these is no guarantee
that each person is comfortable or willing to participate.
Consent must be given and enthusiastic.

Masculinity

Possession of the qualities traditionally associated with

men. These traits are expected of men and so define how
certain people who identify as male behave as a result. It
is this masculinity that the Mens Rape Culture Talk last
week questioned, and asked the individuals in the crowd
to question in themselves.

Chelsea Haith

Chapter 2.12 refers to the section of

the South African Constitution that
protects our right to safety and security
of person. In an attempt to highlight
the scourge of rape and sexual assaults
at our university, members of the SRC
and the Gender Action Project (GAP)
joined the nationwide protest to show
solidarity with rape survivors and to
bring these problems to the attention
of our universitys management.
GAP was approached by a gender
activism group at Stellenbosch University called Unashamed in early April to
collaborate on a nationwide campaign
to end rape culture. The campaign was
begun at university campuses all over
South Africa on Monday 11 April. At
Rhodes University, members of GAP
together with non-aligned students,
members of the Gender Action Committee (GenAct) and with the support
of Activism and Transformation Councillor Naledi Mashishi put up posters
which featured facts about rape culture
at our university as well as quotes from
university management in response to
rape survivors and victims reporting
their assaults.
These posters were then taken down
by management and following this the
organisers of Chapter 2.12 put up a
large sign outside the library which read
WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED. This

protest was completely peaceful: students

and staff participated by having their
photograph taken with a sign that read
Chapter 2.12.
The purpose of this campaign is to
urge alumni, parents and interested
stakeholders to take note of the problem
of rape culture at universities and to
write to the universities in protest. This
tactic has become necessary because
students complaints are ignored or silenced by the university management or
through the usually inadequate policies
regarding rape and sexual harassment
reporting and prosecution.
Even at a more senior level, members
of staff involved with the Gender Action
Committee (GenAct) at Rhodes University have been working for years to
change the policies on rape and sexual
harassment, to no avail, and have expressed their frustration to me privately
in the course of the protest.
Furthermore, 2016 will be the tenth
anniversary of the Silent Protest. Every
year students and staff symbolically
silence themselves, only to untape their
mouths in the Breaking the Silence ceremony at the end of the day, during which
survivors share their stories. While the
Silent Protest allows a space for survivors to hear one anothers stories, to
commune, heal and to create awareness
about sexual violence in South Africa, it
is worth considering whether the time
has come for a more vocal, more public

resistance to rape culture.

However, the protest action of the
week 18-22 April resulted from the actions of non-aligned students in response
to the #RUReferenceList, and was not
initiated by Chapter 2.12. While we support any resistance to rape culture, it is
not accurate to praise or blame (depending on which side of the fence youre on)
the members, organisers or participants
in Chapter 2.12 for the protest action
on campus. Chapter 2.12 has already
released a statement that reads:
As Chapter 2.12 (Rhodes), we would
like to state that we did not publish the
Reference List which has been circulated on social media networks since
last night. Further, the organizers do not
know the identity of the person(s) who
compiled & published the list, or the
intentions behind the publication.
Furthermore, Id like to stress that all
members of Rhodes University Chapter
2.12 acted in the protest in their personal
capacity and not as part of the movement. Lastly, Id like to reiterate a section
of our statement from 20 April: We continue to support any peaceful and noncoercive anti-rape culture protests on
campus. We encourage our supporters to
continue showing solidarity, particularly
on social media, and supporting the protesting students. In addition, we ask that
everyone continues to support victims
of sexual assault and abuse through this
very difficult time.

Misogyny

Misogyny is the unfounded contempt for women based

on deeply-ingrained ideologies and prejudices. It is a
by-product of the patriarchal society we live in. There
are countless examples of misogynistic behaviour experienced by women in their daily lives such as sexual
discrimination, sexual objectification of women as well
as gender-based violence.

Words by Leila Kidson, Leila Stein, Chelsea Haith and Lili Barras-Hagan

Photo: Bronwyn Pretorius

Vocabulary:

Ed 3 / The Oppidan Press / 9

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Ed 3 / The Oppidan Press / 11

20 April 2016

Students gather at the Purple Square to discuss the events that occurred in the morning. The crowd was filled anger and disgust as their
fellow students were arrested earlier that day at the barricades. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

Mic Halse, a Computer Science lecturer at Rhodes, walks away from the police officers and shows that Halse is just a harmless protester. Halse
has also been in the frontline of supporting the protest movement and stands alongside the students. Photo: JOSHUA STEIN.

Dr Mabizela stands in front of protesting students and asks police to stop using pepper spray and rubber bullets against students at the
barricades. The police still opened fire with rubber bullets and used pepper spray on students. Photo: JOSHUA STEIN.

Mercy Lynn Watama being arrested at the South Street barricade on the morning of Wednesday 20 April. Photo: JOSHUA STEIN.

12 / The Oppidan Press / Ed 3

Carla Botha on being arrested

to the Union barricade and I could finally open my eyes. I could
see my friends standing there, but the police were standing in
On the morning of my arrest I ran to help my sleep-deprived
a line for much longer this time. I imagine this was because of
friends man a barricade. A journalist told me that the Eden
the number of protesters and also the larger media presence.
Grove barricade had almost no support so I decided to go
Their force amplified and I heard gunshots and stun grenades.
there.
Then I saw Mercy and Natasha beJust after I got to the barricade,
ing dragged towards the van. Both
I was only standing
staff members arrived and they
I classify as friends. Mercy was
there, hiding my face
were taking pictures of us. We asked
shouting that they were hurting her
them to delete the photos, as they
and that she would not be silenced.
from their pepper
featured survivors of rape. Later
After the police threw them into
spray; the exact same
the police arrived and we were not
the van with me, all I could do
warned as to why they were present.
was try to embrace them but I was
thing many rape
No member of staff came to speak
covered in pepper spray.
victims use to fend off
to us or warn us, they just stood
Mercy then started bending
their rapists..
there and stared.
backwards, gasping for air. Her
The police said they would use
hands clinging to anything she
force to remove the barricades
could find. It looked like her back
when we stated that we wouldnt
Carla Botha
was going to break. She couldnt
help them. Nonetheless, we stood
breathe. Natasha and I started
behind the barricades peacefully.
banging the police van because we
Police then came from all directions
werent medically equipped to help
with pepper spray and all I rememher. We banged and shouted for
ber was trying to cover my face before a police officer shouted
what felt like five full minutes but nobody came. One female
arrest her. Nobody ever said anything to us about the possibilpolice officer opened the van door and told us that Mercy was
ity of being arrested. My confusion doubled after they told me
not having a panic attack. We couldnt believe it. She just closed
I was being arrested for public violence. All I was doing was
the door on us again, locking us in with our friend who we had
stand there, hiding my face from their pepper spray; the exact
no power to help.
same thing many rape victims use to fend off their rapists.
Somebody tried to console Mercy, reminding her to breathe
They rounded us up and then I
in/out at the window. But with all the shots being fired around
was handcuffed and thrown into
us and shouts of confusion it was by no means adequate medithe back of the police van. My
cal care. The police van started reversing and we even lost the
face was burning from the pepper in/out lady. All I could do was lay down next to Mercy and
spray but I was only given a
speak to her. She is such a powerful woman and to see one of
bottle of water after shouting my biggest role models being triggered and then go through
for help from my friends
such an injustice was too much. Soon after, the ambulance arand once the police had
rived and we had no knowledge of her whereabouts until the
removed all the barriafternoon.
cades. The van then drove
At the police station one of the officers said she went to war
to Prince Alfred street
that morning. War against who? Peaceful students crying out
and I could still not open against injustice? I recall a Chapter 2.12 poster that said Girls
my eyes but had to sit
need to learn how to be firmer when they say no. I wonder if
alone hearing my friends
they now realised how firm we can be. We are saying no to rape
scream. Nobody was
culture. We are saying no to injustice. And our no is so loud
arrested at the Prince
that it is reverberating around the world.
Alfred barricade.
The police then drove
If you have any more questions feel free to ask Carla Botha.
Carla Botha

Ed 3 / The Oppidan Press / 13

From Inside the Holding Cell

Leila Kidson

Following her arrest, Leila Kidson speaks to Natasha Piprek

on her experience of the #RUReferenceList protest and the
details of her arrest.
Q: What made this protest so important to you?
A: I was incredibly emotionally tied to this protest because
one of my friends was date-raped by a guy we knew. He wears
contact lenses, so he has eyedrops with him wherever he
goes, and he spiked her drink. He led her outside and everyone thought he was helping her, because everyone knows
him, and everyone is friends with him. He took her out into
the park next to the house, she called me the next day saying
she remembers trying to smack him and telling him no, but
she couldnt do anything. She woke up a few hours later and
was completely naked. She wasnt even sure if she had been
actually raped, or what exactly had happened to her. She can
just remember short snippets of trying to push him off of her.
She ended up not going to the police. She was so scared, her
parents dont have a lot of money, and his parents are incredibly rich, and she knew that if they were to go to court there
might not be evidence against him. I had to sit in art class with
this guy for an entire year, and literally every time I saw him I
would almost be paralysed with anger. He was going around,
flirting with girls, going out, and I had to look him in the eyes
and know what he had done. Thats the thing, that is what is
so scary, that if someone goes to report a guy to Rhodes, how
do you expect a girl to be on the same campus as a guy she has
just accused of rape?

Q: How do you feel about being the face of the protest in

some way?
A: It is a weird feeling, opening articles and seeing myself, and
it is weird being called a hero. I dont want to blame it on race,
but I think if I were a black girl the press wouldnt have been the
same. The fact that I was wearing a white shirt also makes me
seem a lot more innocent, maybe more innocent than I am.
Q: Just before your arrest, did you hear any formal warning?
A: There were about two or three of us that were talking to
the police, asking for clarity on what was happening, and what
was legal and not legal. There was never a big announcement. If
they did, it would have been more personally. At no point did
anyone say we would get arrested. There was just We need you
guys to move now, we need you guys to move now. I was only
told at the police station what I had been arrested for, which I
dont think is legal either. There was so much confusion, even
just within the team of police that worked with us, as to what we
were being charged with and why we had been arrested. Thats
why it feels so much more clear that it was just for intimidation.
Q: What are your hopes for the future of the protests at Rhodes?
A: We need to start talking about rape culture and people
need to start scrutinising leadership positions where people
have been called rapists. It is kind of the same concept as for
climate change to start slowing down we need leaders who
care about the environment, and for sexual violence and rape
to come to an end we need leaders who vouch for it. We need
leaders who actually care about people.

Natasha Piprek is pulled from a barricade and pepper sprayed by the police. She is then arrested and removed from campus, along
with four other students who were protesting against the manner in which Rhodes handles rape and sexual assault cases. Photo:
JOSHUA STEIN.

14 / The Oppidan Press / Ed 3

21 April 2016

Dr Vashna Jagarnath addresses students, who were encouraged to contribute to the list of demands and to agree upon the time-frames in
which they should be met. Photo: LAUREN BUCKLE.

Shortly after the conversations held at the Drama Department; students, staff and children join in a peaceful march around campus. Protest
songs were sung by the crowd as they walked up Prince Alfred Street and back down to the Clock Tower. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

Ed 3 / The Oppidan Press / 15

Students join hands to ensure all those marching stay as a unified group. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

At the end of the march, the crowd gather at the Clock Tower and continue to sing. The emotions were high at this point and a few students
broke down in tears. The gathering was concluded by a prayer. Photo: LAUREN BUCKLE.

16 / The Oppidan Press / Ed 3

Guilt: why do we blame ourselves?

Ed 3 / The Oppidan Press / 17

Identifying the enemy

Lili Barras-Hargan

Since the release of the #RUReferenceList, the

Rhodes University campus has become a space for
lived experiences and pain to be brought to the
surface and discussed. However, listening to some
people share their encounters with rape culture,
an element of guilt is tangible. Although this may
be seen as internalised victim blaming, it is simply
an incredibly common step in the process of acceptance.
When I discovered that I was raped at the age of
15, my first reaction was to blame myself.
I said yes at the start.
I wasnt forceful enough.
Am I even remembering this correctly?
As a survivor of sexual assault and rape, it is
difficult to imagine a world where people are so
violently stripped of their agency and dignity. So
I didnt allow myself to think about it and made
excuses for what happened. I blamed myself so that
I wouldnt have to accept the terrifying reality of the
rape culture that pervades our society.
As a result, when someone close to me told me
that I needed to lose weight and present myself better to avoid it happening again, I believed them. I let
my feelings of guilt obscure what I knew to be true:
rape is never the victims fault. I was experiencing
gaslighting, a form of mental abuse which makes an
individual question their memory of events as well
as their sanity.
It takes a lot of courage to let go of the guilt and
begin to accept that what happened to you wasnt
your fault. It can be a very lengthy process, especially if youre surrounded by unsupportive people. But
one day youll realise that the length of your skirt
and the drink in your hand arent to blame. Rape
isnt about lust or sex; its about power.
And losing control of your body is terrifying.
In one moment, your whole life is turned upside
down and the pressure to quickly, quietly regain that
control can be overwhelming. Take time to heal. Act
instinctively. If your body needs a week in bed, dont
force yourself to lectures. If you need your routine
back, there is no shame in throwing yourself back
into your studies. Your mental health comes first.
But above everything else, work towards letting go
of the guilt. Because none of this was your fault.

Lindsay Kelland

The recent protests have made it clear that as part of human

nature there is a specific requirement for a definitive enemy.
While this is often what leads to concerning beliefs such as
stranger danger in relation to sexual assault, the real enemy which should unite us is rape and rape-culture and are a
problem in which we are all complicit through the perpetuation of hetero-patriarchal beliefs, values, and norms.
Chapter 2.12 of our constitution states that everyone has the
right to freedom and security. This includes the rights not to
be deprived of freedom without just cause, to be free from all
forms of violence from either public or private sources, and not
to be treated or punished in a cruel, inhuman or degrading way.
While the protests have moved beyond calling attention to
Chapter 2.12, it seems to me that these basic rights are still driving our concerns over rape culture on our campus.
The students, staff, and community members who are now
protesting together are angry about the scourge of rape and
sexual violence in their lives which deprives them of their freedom and their bodily integrity. They are also angry about the
ways in which survivors of rape and sexual violence are treated
by so-called justice systems, and with the undeniable failure of
these systems in the protection of survivors of sexual violence.
Our anger stems from the fact that these systems currently
protect perpetrators, thereby placing the costs of rape and
sexual violence firmly on the shoulders of those who suffer
rather than on the shoulders of those who cause suffering.
There is also an underlying mistrust of one another fostered by countless bad experiences in the
past, and a simple flaw in human nature
that aims to position, fix, and essentialise
what is other in order to have a nameable
enemy.
An enemy who is someone or something
that is entirely at odds with what we hold to
be good, true, and just, and that we can justifiably target our anger at. But if part of the
problem is precisely the divisions between
us that cause communication and accountability to break down, then how do we put
this all behind us and come together to
move forward in what has come to be seen
as the South African way?
As we know, sexual violence affects us all
across the lines of race, class, sex, gender, and

sexuality. Rape and rape-culture are a problem for all of us, and
are a problem in which we are all complicit through the perpetuation of hetero-patriarchal beliefs, values, and norms. This
problem unites us. This is our enemy. In order to fight it we will
need the creativity and knowledge of differently situated people
with different expertise. If there is anything we must learn from
our history it is this, that it takes us coming together to fight a
systemic social injustice.
During the protests I heard I have heard people call on images of the kind of university we want to be a part of, of the
kinds of values we want to uphold, and the kinds of people we
want to be. I have been a student here, and now I am a member of academic staffthe university I want to belong to is
one where we listen to one another, where we give credence to
one anothers pain, where we are able to falter, account for our
mistakes and be brought back into the fold as people who care
about what happens on our campus and in our institution.
I want to belong to a university that supports survivors and
holds perpetrators to account; a university that leads the way
in changing how sexual violence is dealt with; a university
that radically challenges and overhauls the hetero-patriarchal
ideology that governs each of us. This is a juncture at which this
dream could become a reality if we dont let it slip away from
us.
What we need now is to figure out together how to go about
creating this culture in ways that do not continue the cycles
of injustice that we are fighting lest we forget that the rights
enshrined in Chapter 2.12 are basic to us all.

18 / The Oppidan Press / Ed 3

Ed 3 / The Oppidan Press / 19

22 April 2016
Students sing and dance as the press conference between management and the task team takes place inside Eden Grove. Students were
not allowed to enter the meeting, but this did not stop them from displaying their unhappiness with the Rhodes management. Photo:
VICTORIA BRIGGS.

After Dr Mabizela approaches the students, he informs them that he was not aware that he was expected to respond to the demands by
5pm that day. Dr Peter Clayton and Chrissie Boughey come forward and state that it is in everyones best interests for them to respond to
the demands the following day rather. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

Yolanda Dyantyi shows her frustration during the press conference in Eden Grove. Like many students, Dyantyi was unimpressed by managements response to various allegations that arose during the discussion. Photo: VICTORIA BRIGGS.

Corrinne Knowles and Professor Catriona Macleod reaffirm their position as being in full support of the students and their demands. They
agree that the way in which Rhodes deals with rape and sexual assault cases is flawed and needs serious attention.
Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

20 / The Oppidan Press / Ed 3

Ed 3 / The Oppidan Press / 21

Letter from the editor

trigger warnings
Emily Stander and Leila Kidson

The last two weeks have been exceptionally triggering, to many both on campus and across the
media spectrum. People have been triggered both by experiences on campus, but also by content
published online. The contentious issue of trigger warnings has therefore been brought up.
The past week or two of protests have brought new words and phrases to the vocabulary of many,
one of which is trigger. Consider the phrase pulling the trigger. It entails making a difficult decision, whereby you are forced to confront something - in this case, a memory of experience. Triggers
force us to confront the pain of those experiences. To protect readers from this pain, trigger warning
were created.
As defined by dictionary.com: a trigger warning is a stated warning that the content of the text,
video, photograph or other media platforms is one of nature that might upset or offend the reader,
especially if that person has previously experienced trauma.
As with everything, there are pros and cons to trigger warnings. For example, where a trigger
warning can be used to ensure sensitive readers are not triggered by engaging with content, the
trigger warning itself, such as the use of sexual violence, abuse could itself be have the same painful
effect as the content.
The need for trigger warnings became near null and void last week, as just being on campus and
in the spaces of protests were exceptionally triggering, and while many tried to use trigger warnings
on both Facebook and other social media platforms, not all content could be policed, and many were
triggered.

Pros:

Cons:

They promote the emotional wellbeing of the reader

It provides a means of creating

safe spaces where the reader is not
made to feel uncomfortable, especially so on Facebook and Twitter.

There is no real way of telling what will trigger somebody, especially since the warnings
themselves are words that could trigger.

Articles and discussions that surround sensitive issues are an easier target for disproportionate complaints about trigger warnings.

It puts the agency with the reader.

They can decide if they want to
read triggering content

There may be too many trigger warnings in

a specific article, which allows for the warnings to actually become a bit futile as they
become redundant.

The Oppidan Press strives towards safety for our viewers in engaging with our content, and wants to ask you how
you would like us to warn readers as to the content, without the warning itself being triggering.

The protests which took place on campus from the 17th April-28th April caught
the attention of the media all across South Africa. The Oppidan Press had the
privilege of being at the forefront of this protest, ensuring that it was covered at
every point.
As students and journalists it is often difficult to sit at the intersection of protests
such as these. Often the feeling of wanting to be involved while still trying to maintain journalistic integrity. For many in our team, this protest represented a cause
which they felt incredibly connected to. This is specifically true because our entire
Executive team is made up of women.
In addition, this protest was particularly difficult because the subject matter hit
close to home for almost all of our staff involved. Although we have already released
a statement on the matter, the insistence of some of the student body to have our
team account for our former editor who was named on the #RUreferencelist, also
caused a lot of grief. It was felt that by requiring the account and clear separation it
was immediately assumed that those in the team supported what he has been accused of, namely rape and sexual assault. This was specifically difficult for those in
the team who are survivors.
Despite the difficulties, our team endeavoured to ensure that the coverage was
truthful, fair and made up for what was lacking in the national media. The coverage
was based on what the students needed to know, as they are our readership.
This has been the goal of our current executive all year, The new team have ensured that there has been coverage on rape culture, sexual violence, patriarchy and
consent in every edition this year. This has either been done through our teams own
articles or through the continued contribution of articles from GAP.
We will continue to cover these issues throughout the year as they continue to be
incredibly important and are in need of continued discussion and attention, beyond
protest action.
We would like to thank our team for their continued dedication to covering the
protests: Lili Barras-Hagan, Ash Dean, Emily Stander, Bronwyn Pretorius, Victoria
Briggs, Lauren Buckle, Julia Fish, Kathryn Cleary, Shannon Lorimer, Leila Kidson,
Lauren Dixon-Paver, Tiffany Mac Sherry, Samantha Johnson, Joshua Stein, Paige
Muller, Collette Prince, Pierre Durandt, Mayo Twala, Zama Luthuli, Pumla Kalipha,
Phiwokuhle Dhlamini, Courtney Jeftha, Leni Netshiavhela, Tumi Baepane, Afika
Jadezweni, Tom Makkink and Leila Stein

22 / The Oppidan Press / Ed 3

Ed 3 / The Oppidan Press / 23

Various audience members are eager to
ask questions regarding the way management handled the issues during the
week. Audience members were required
to request either Dr Peter Clayton or
Chrissie Boughey to answer their question, or else Dr Mabizela had to answer it.
Students were unhappy that the responsibility of justifying the actions of management during the police confrontation
lay with Dr Mabizela and demanded one
of the other members of staff to explain.
Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

23 April 2016
Students, staff, parents and NEHAWU members gather in the Great Hall to hear Dr Mabizela and managements response to the set demands. A moment of silence was held for the passing of a fellow student, Londiwe Jobela before the discussion began. Photo: BRONWYN
PRETORIUS.

Dr Mabizela tries to remedy the conflict

and unhappiness displayed by the crowd.
He explains that he respects all his of
students, but it is crucial to stay within the
boundaries of the law when protesting.
Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

Various audience members show their dismay at some of the responses from management. They feel that they are not being respected as
human beings and that the interdict treats them as criminals during a peaceful protest. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

24 / The Oppidan Press / Ed 3

24 April 2016

Babalwa Magoqwana introduces the vigil which is held on the Sunday after the reference list was released. The vigil aimed to bring
everyone together who took part in the protests and those who may have been triggered by the weeks events.
Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

Corrinne Knowles stands as a unified member of the crowd and listens intently to the speakers stories and reflections. Knowles is one of the
staff members who has defended the students from the beginning of the protests. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

Ed 3 / The Oppidan Press / 25

A few members of the audience reflect upon what the past week has meant to them as individuals. One of speakers includes Natalie Donaldson who admitted that she was ashamed of being a member of staff at the university currently known as Rhodes and that she would
support the students no matter what. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS.

The wall was a place for individuals to write notes about their feelings, sympathies and support for all those affected. Photo: BRONWYN
PRETORIUS.