Discovery of decapitated student appals Commission for Gender Equality

The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has reacted to the murder of the University of Fort Hare student whose body parts were found in a bag this week.

In a statement on Saturday, the CGE said it would reach out to the institution’s leadership.

The body parts of 23-year-old final-year LLB student Nosicelo Mtebeni were found in East London on Thursday and her boyfriend, with whom she shared an apartment, has been arrested for alleged murder.

“These grim developments have darkened the meaning of women’s month and we view the continued killings of women as an act of confrontation to the law by GBV (gender-based violence) perpetrators” said commission chairperson Tamara Mathebula.

Mathebula said the commission spent three years assessing gender transformation and gender-based violence at universities and colleges, and subsequently recommended that the department of higher education & training  institute policies and procedures to deal with gender-based violence.

“We urge the higher education ministry to speedily ensure the implementation of the recommendations we have made in this area by various institutions,” she said.

“We further urge institutions of higher learning and members of civil society to engage students on programmes that seek to fight GBV.

 “We applaud the SA Police Service for the speedy arrest of the man suspected of having committed this murder, and call on the court to deny him bail.

“The CGE is pleased by the swift action on the part of the university to offer trauma counselling support to students, and we call on other service providers to assist the university in this regard.”

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