The School of Literature, Languages and Media (SLLM) have announced that a sexual harassment committee has been constituted in order to address concerns, and facilitate a discussion, about sexual harassment among students in the School.
This announcement comes in the wake of allegations against one of the School’s senior lecturers, Dr Last Moyo.
The Wits Vuvuzela last week broke the story of the allegations against Dr Moyo, which he strongly denies. According to the Head of the School, Dr Libby Meintjes, the committee consists of Prof Pumla Gqola (Pumla.gqola@wits.ac.za), Dr Colette Gordon (Colette.gordon@wits.ac.za), Dr Mehita Iqani (Mehita.iqani@wits.ac.za) and Prof Tommaso Milani (Tommaso.milani@wits.ac.za).
Dr Meintjes has encouraged students to approach the committee who will be able to assist students with concerns around sexual harassment and will even assist in approaching the CCDU’s sexual harassment officer, Maria Wanyane. According to Dr Meintjes, members of the committee, “will be able to provide a safe space for students to articulate any concerns.”
Read the official statement from SLLM:
“The School of Literature, Language and Media would like to assure students and staff of the University that it has a policy of zero tolerance with regard to sexual harassment. The School has constituted a Sexual Harassment Committee. This Committee will be calling all students in the School to a meeting to discuss sexual harassment generally: what it is, how to cope with it and what processes are in place to assist students subjected to it. A person familiar with procedures in cases of suspected sexual harassment will be present at the meeting to clarify procedures and answer queries.
