Claims of ‘degree for silence’ by a former postgrad student

Dear colleagues and students

An incident alleged to have occurred in March 2021 has now resurfaced in the public space regarding allegations of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) by a former postgraduate student at the University of Cape Town (UCT), who was also employed by the Western Cape Government at the time.

The matter is presented in the public space with false allegations of ‘bribery’ to offer a ‘degree for silence’ in exchange for the complainant dropping the SGBV case. I say false because all previous allegations related to this matter have been tested and exhausted through three independent investigations and a judgement of the Western Cape High Court, with court proceedings taking place throughout the course of 2024.

This matter was the subject of:

• An investigation by the Western Cape Government Department of Health and Wellness, which resulted in a report dated 3 June 2022. This investigation concluded that there was no evidence to support the allegations.
• An investigation by the Presidency, which was conducted in March–May 2022. This investigation referred the SGBV allegations to SAPS.
• An investigation by SAPS, which resulted in a certificate of nolle prosequi (a decision to not prosecute) issued by the regional director of public prosecutions on 10 January 2023.

The Western Cape High Court proceedings found that the former student’s statements regarding her alleged case are defamatory to UCT and unlawful, and granted an order restraining her from disseminating or publishing further statements through media outlets. It is unfortunate that these defamatory and unlawful public statements were not only shared by media outlets, but also echoed by a few other entities.

I wish to clarify that UCT has not requested an investigation by the Department of Higher Education and Training on this particular matter. As far as UCT is concerned, investigations into this SGBV matter have been exhausted, and there was no evidence found to support the allegations. Accordingly, UCT considers this matter closed and our rights remain reserved to pursue legal action against any defamatory or unlawful statements by anyone on this particular matter.

UCT remains dedicated to maintaining an environment where individuals feel comfortable reporting any incidents of SGBV and reiterates its commitment to creating a safe and supportive environment for survivors.

Sincerely

Professor Mosa Moshabela
Vice-Chancellor

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