Johannesburg - Higher education and training institutions in South Africa are experiencing a surge in the frequency of gender-based violence incidents, which disproportionately target female students.
The Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, has repeatedly condemned the violence and murder of post-school education and training students.
This comes after eight student murder cases were reported across the country in one month.
Nzimande said the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector is a microcosm of our larger society, and this must be acknowledged.
"The emergence and frequent instances of reproduction of societal pathologies on our campuses, such as rape and violent murders, typically committed against women, are a clear example of this," said Nzimande.
Following are the incidents of students who were slain in February across the country:
Students from Eastcape Midlands TVET College in Kariega, Eastern Cape, Busiwe Notyawe, Sesethu Dweba, and Asanda Ngubo were slain on February 12 while mingling at a public entertainment venue.
At the college's Heath Park Campus in Gqeberha, the students were enrolled in N5 Management Assistant and Financial Management courses.
According to preliminary investigations, an armed intruder broke into the home and fired shots at the students while they were socialising at a sit-in location in Kwazakhele.
Lesego Tsindo, 22, a male student at Sydney Maseko Community College in Soweto, was fatally stabbed to death last week on Armed Forces Day close to his home.
On February 23, Thabang Ndlovu, a 19-year-old male student at Aaron Moeti Community College in Katlehong, was also fatally stabbed. Local residents and fellow students found him on the sports field close to the Aaron Moeti Community.
In another incident, three students at Fort Hare University were robbed and assaulted on the same day, February 23, outside the campus on the Tyhume Bridge as they were heading to the university's Alice campus, which resulted in one of the students being killed and another being raped.
The fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in higher education will be led by two female university vice-chancellors, Unisa's Professor Puleng LenkaBula and her Nelson Mandela University counterpart, Professor Sibongile Muthwa, who were appointed last month by Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology. They will lead key programmes towards addressing the challenges of GBVF.
Nzimande, additionally, exhorted all vice-chancellors and TVET college principals to keep in touch with the Department of Higher Education and Training regarding any security-related matters in order for the department to communicate with the Cabinet Security Cluster, particularly with regard to security issues that affect the institutions' capacity to carry out their duties.
The Star