Cape Town - The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) from the University of Cape Town (UCT) has condemned derogatory comments made by student in which they used the k-word.
A student from the university quoted a tweet where many people were participating in the latest Ramaphosa Challenge, which was sparked after President Ramaphosa addressed the country about the move to lockdown level 3 on Monday.
In the tweet the student said: “The things that occupy the k****r mind.”
The tweet caused an outrage and had the k-word trending on Twitter on Tuesday. The account has since been deactivated.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the UCT SRC condemned the comments and said that the student exhibited the highest level of anti-blackness.
“In these tweets the student showed the highest level of anti-blackness by referring to black citizens using the derogatory K-word and later hurling insults which stereotype black people's class, education and parenting.
“Defenders of this statement would have us believe that this is not an issue because the student is biracial. However, this is a misunderstanding of the nature of anti-blackness in our society and specifically, the gravity, depth and history of that specific word in the South African context.”
The SRC added: “The logic of anti-blackness will always validate these nonsensical statements and will always use such stereotypes to paint black people as the irrational and undignified non-humans the system sees us as. How long must the black community experience such violence without impunity?”
🗣 STATEMENT: SRC condemns disturbing comments by student. pic.twitter.com/wtOofxgPG2
— UCT SRC (@UCT_SRC) December 30, 2020
The SRC said it has undertaken to hold the student accountable and report them to the Office for Inclusivity and Change (01C). The student is also part of the leadership in one of the university's residences.
“The SRC has a duty to hold all student leaders accountable and we will approach the Student Governance Court to ensure this.
“People must be held accountable for the violence they inflict on members of our university and country. This is a beginning of an intersectional crusade to mete out all contradictions of race, gender, sexuality and class in our student governance structures and in the university at-large,” the statement said.
“We are an SRC of action and this is but one moment that will set the tone going forward. We encourage university stakeholders to continue to expose all forms of violence they may experience.”
Cape Argus