The Thinking Masses of SA foundation, the organisation behind the call, explain that Magkoba doesn't deserve to remain on the seat of the Chancellor of the prestigious university taken into consideration the alleged rape case hanging on his neck.
It would be recalled that Magkoba was alleged by June Major to have rape her back in 2002 and was recently on hunger strike to demand for justice and to force the Archbishop to fulfill the promises made to her pertaining to the matter then.
On this allegation the organisation said Magkoba cannot be allowed to keep the post until June Major get the justice she sought for. They said,
“We request that the University Council engages its chancellor on the claims and ask of him to step aside until justice for Rev Major is attained. It is further our submission that the chancellor cannot be allowed to continue in that office, or to preside over any function that is attached with being a chancellor when he publicly stands accused of having shown an attitude of indifference and has failed to take seriously the case of a gender-based violence victim in his church that was registered over four years ago,” the foundation stated in it's letter to the university council.
The foundation also requested that the council engaged Rev Major “not to adjudicate” her case but to hear her version, saying that UWC could not be “silent and adopt an attitude of indifference” in the matter, adding that the institution’s history would “judge it if it chooses to be silent in this epoch because it ignores the ongoing injustice against a South African, a woman, a victim of rape and abuse.”
The University of Western Cape management would not want to be drawn into the matter, saying it was “unrelated to any university activities in Archbishop Makgoba’s capacity as chancellor” and so they refused to make further comment on the matter.
The foundation said it was easy to denounce gender-based violence “from a distance” saying the recent comment of Magkoba that the “church’s commitment to justice in society is a faith response and a direct reflection of its divine calling, had been noted.
The Thinking Masses of South Africa foundation, however finally said, “It is justice that must be sought, and nobody must be allowed to suffer the consequences of injustice."
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