A Nelson Mandela University student leader has apologised for a comment he made about sexual frustration leading to rape, saying it was taken out of context.
The remarks by South African Students Congress (Sasco) regional secretary Athenkosi Daniso, 25 – made on the same day NMU students protested after an alleged on-campus rape – caused widespread outrage after a video of him speaking went viral.
Daniso was one of a group of male students discussing issues relating to gender-based violence at the Sanlam Student Village cafeteria on Monday evening.
Consequently, the university will now be introducing mandatory gender-based-violence training to all students living on campus and in accredited off-campus residences‚ as well as to all incoming student leaders from 2019.
Daniso released an “unconditional apology to everyone who has been offended by my comments”, saying his statement was taken out of context.
He had actually said that the university should not take the approach of banning visitors to residences “because what is going to lead us to rape is to be sexually frustrated”.
The 18-second clip of Daniso speaking followed another student’s suggestion that male and female residences be segregated with visitors not allowed in.
Gender equality activists reacting to Daniso’s comments said they showed exactly why massive changes were needed in a country where rape was so prevalent.
Fellow student Yamkela Tengwa, 22, defended Daniso, saying he had been responding to a previous speaker.
“Daniso said a lot because he was responding to a speaker who said ‘maybe we must have women’s and men’s [sections on campus] with no visiting hours’,” Tengwa said.
“Daniso was saying we cannot live in isolation because it will give men and women the wrong impression and men will think whenever they see women they must attack them.
“We must rather live together, and even if you see them [women] in [the bathroom] you will know that it’s her body and it does not belong to you.
“Before speaking about sexual frustration, Daniso said men need to have girlfriends because loneliness leads them to do irrational things.
“Whereas if you have a girlfriend, she can teach you that rape is wrong and you will understand the female body.”
Explaining the “sexual frustration” part of his comments, Daniso said: “I did not only talk about men, I said ‘us’ because it’s not only men who rape, women rape and people in the LGBTI community rape.“The sexual frustration part was completely taken out of context – what I meant is that in law ‘no’ means ‘no’, even if your girlfriend eventually gives in because you kept on begging her, if she initially said ‘no’ then that’s rape.”
He said he was very disappointed “in whoever took and released the short [video] clip because what I had said has been completely taken out of context”.
“I humbly apologise and I told the guys when they laughed [at his controversial remarks] that it shows their lack of understanding [about rape].”
Gender activist Lucy Nomhle Bowles said: “Rape is not a problem – it’s a pandemic.
“A problem is when your car breaks down and you fix it.
“Also, rape is not pleasure, it’s triggered by power – a need to be in control.”
Social activist Nolitha January said a lot more education was needed.
“Institutions where a rape culture thrives need to deal with it through education because we can’t have women killing themselves because they feel powerless.”
Siphesihle Lugaju, the cofounder of the Memeza campaign – which means “shout” – agreed that education on gender-based violence was important.
“The marches are also important because it is sometimes the only way we can make our voices heard, but I’m optimistic a day will come when we no longer have to march,” she said.
NMU said in addition to the mandatory training, efforts to increase awareness of and advocate against gender-based violence would be embedded in the student orientation programme‚ the social consciousness module for all first-years‚ as well as student leadership development programmes.
In his apology, Daniso said: “I concede and accept that I was reckless in making my point and commit to being a lot more careful when putting my points across around this sensitive issue.
“My input, in essence, dealt with the detailed solutions that can be used as measures to prevent such incidents from happening and, in turn, creating a safe and conducive environment on campus for all to live safely within.
“I also spoke of the need for us, as men, to have an appetite of being educated about rape to come up with and orchestrate the best possible solutions.
“The video shows the part of my input that suggested that the separation of men and women on campus residences cannot guarantee the safety of women and is not a solution to the problems of gender-based violence, but does not show it in full.”