Cape Town, South Africa – Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr. Blade Nzimande, has commended the arrest of a university student involved in a stabbing incident at a private student residence in Belhar, Cape Town. The incident, which occurred on Saturday, involved a 26-year-old female student from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) who was allegedly attacked by her husband, a 30-year-old student from the University of Western Cape (UWC).

According to South African Government News Agency, the suspect and the victim are married. Minister Nzimande praised the prompt action of law enforcement agencies in apprehending the perpetrator. He referred to the crime, captured on video footage, as merciless and barbaric. Nzimande highlighted the pervasive issue of gender-based violence (GBV), which globally affects one in three women in their lifetime. He cited statistics showing that 38% of women’s murders are committed by intimate partners and that 35% of women worldwide have experienced physical and sexual violence.

To combat GBV in educational institutions, Minister Nzimande has launched the Transforming MENtalities initiative. This multistakeholder partnership within the Post School Education and Training (PSET) system focuses on mobilizing men to champion a world free from gender biases, stereotypes, violence, and discrimination. Nzimande urged all institutions, in collaboration with Higher Health, which oversees wellness at higher education institutions, to work collectively in implementing programs to address the challenges of sexual and gender-based violence within the PSET system.