UCT has decided not to suspend the chemical engineering lecturer who posted racist and sexist remarks on Facebook, and that he had wanted to rape and kill his 2-year-old child while he was suffering from depression.
Vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng said that following a pre-suspension meeting held on Wednesday, it was decided the lecturer be placed on a compulsory leave of absence on medical grounds.
"We further determined that the necessary interventions will be made available to support him," Phakeng said.
She added that the lecturer had been removed from teaching before he posted the messages.
On Wednesday, #FeesMustFall leader and activist Mcebo Dlamini stood up for under-fire UCT lecturer Arthur Mabentsela‚ saying he was depressed and needed help. He later deleted his post.
“The black academic is suffering and suffocating under severe depression‚” he wrote on Facebook. This after Mabentsela had said on Facebook the #MenAreTrash movement was “bullsh*t” and that women simply could not attract "quality men".
He also admitted to being depressed and said at one stage he had wanted to rape and kill a family member. “When I was depressed… I wanted to kill her.”
Depression was the reason given for the tragic suicide of renowned UCT cardiologist Professor Bongani Mayosi recently.
Nelli Nof wrote on Facebook: "Praying for Arthur Mabentsela. He might be going through whatever it is he's going through; but one thing I know is that his intentions have always been good."
"The staff member involved had the right to attend the meeting with a union member or an employee representative of his choice," Phakeng said.
She said the staff member made his representations on why he should not be suspended, and all the information presented would be considered.
"We took the decision to proceed with the preliminary investigation into the entire matter with urgency," Phakeng said.
Phakeng has assured staff, students and parents that the university would urgently act on the matter because it recognised its importance.
The Facebook post of Mabentsela, who has a Master’s degree in engineering, attacked women who used the phrase “#MenAreTrash”, which was intended to expose incidents of sexual abuse and violence.
Mabentsela advised women to “close your legs and open your ears (and) listen when a real man talks. But just check all the hoes (sic) gonna jump and defend their trash ways”.
When he received a response to his post explaining the phrase #MenAre Trash was intended to raise awareness around sexually abused women and children, he responded by defending abusive men.
“Some of those men are suffering from depression. When I was depressed I had thoughts of raping my own 2-year-old. I wanted to kill her. I saw nothing in her. There was no love.”
In another post, Mabentsela called people of colour the K-word and said they were weak and "snitches".