UKZN Institutes a GBV Investigations Section

UKZN Institutes a GBV Investigations Section

UKZN has established a specialised gender-based violence (GBV) investigations section within Risk Management Services (RMS) to give priority to cases reported at the University’s campuses.

GBV is a human rights violation which affects physical, sexual, reproductive, mental and social well-being globally. Common forms of GBV prevalent in universities include sexual harassment (which includes unwanted touching, sexual innuendoes, comments made to groups about someone, etc.), rape, cyberbullying, stalking, voyeurism (“peeping tom”), stealthing, femicide, intimate partner violence, and sexual assault.

Operating from 08h00 – 16h00 on weekdays, the Unit comprises of two investigators, currently based on the Howard College campus.  The investigators are also on standby for emergencies, and GBV Support Officers are available at all campuses on every shift.  Plans are in place to have a dedicated GVB investigator on every campus in due course.

The Officer in Charge of RMS, Mr Lovemore Khumalo emphasised the importance of addressing issues that may impact staff and students. ‘GBV is a scourge that affects all of us. It is important that we stamp it out in our Institution, to ensure a safe living and learning environment for all. Staff and students must speak out about GBV and seek assistance where necessary. We felt the need to have a specialised team to deal with instances of GBV on our campuses.’

The Unit is putting together programmes that it will implement in the near future once further training for RMS support officers has been completed.

UKZN’s Dr Janine Hicks welcomed the initiative. ‘The GBV Committee has been working with RMS to ensure that on every shift, on every campus, there are officials training in GBV reporting and response, and has been calling for a strengthened investigation capacity within this unit, to ensure that perpetrators of GBV are brought to book.  Impunity for sexual and gender-based violence is one of the driving forces behind GBV.  As UKZN, we are obliged to put in place mechanisms to promote awareness and respond appropriately to instances of GBV, to eradicate this from our community, and ensure the safety of those who live and work on our campuses.’

Confidentiality is often a concern when reporting incidents of GBV. Khumalo underscored the importance of confidentiality, privacy and ensuring that staff and students feel comfortable and secure. ‘Confidentiality is one of our main priorities. We want to do everything in our power to avoid secondary victimisation. We have comfort rooms allocated on each campus that are used specifically for GBV cases so that the victims can be made comfortable and secure. The cases are only handled by the dedicated GBV officers and the dockets are kept safe. We also work closely with other sections (as and if required), including the Department of Student Residence Affairs (DSRA), College Student Support Services, the Student Discipline Office and Human Resources, who share the same principles of care and confidentiality,’ he said.

All instances (allegations) of GBV must immediately be reported to RMS, so that the necessary protocols can be actioned.  In the case of rape or sexual assault, a trained GBV Support Officer /Investigations Officer will assist the assault survivor by ensuring they are safely transported to the nearest Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) or Crisis Care Centre (CCC). In instances where the GBV survivor chooses to report the matter to our local SAPS, the support person will also immediately call the SAPS, and arrange to have a trained female RMS staff attend the scene whilst waiting for SAPS.

EMERGENCY AND SUPPORT CONTACTS

RMS Control Room contact numbers:

Edgewood campus: 031 260 3493

Howard College campus: 031 260 2540/42

Medical School: 031 260 2540/42

Pietermaritzburg campus: 033 260 5211/6215

Westville campus: 031 260 7133/7265

RMS GBV Investigators’ contact numbers:

Mrs Zinhle Ngcobo: 031 260 7964/076 840 3364

Mrs Delisile Saunders: 031 260 1158/060 623 6601

GBV support officers are based in the RMS control room on each campus

TCC and CCC that are utilised by UKZN:

• Addington Crisis Care Centre: 031 327 2843
• Northdale Crisis Care Centre: 033 387 9000
• RK Khan Thuthuzela Care Centre: 031 401 0394

Words and photograph: Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer