Between Thursday and Friday last week (29 and 30 May), donors have managed to fill a storeroom with goods.

Last week, the University of Pretoria issued a statement to students and staff in which it rebuked xenophobic-related attacks. In his message last week, the Vice-Principal, Professor Chris de Beer, reminded staff and students that the University of Pretoria is a community based on collegiality that unequivocally discourages anyone in its midst from harbouring any feelings of xenophobia.

“The University of Pretoria will do all in its powers to make sure that all members of its community feel safe within the institution’s premises. The University actively seeks to eradicate any form of discrimination. Social evils such as racism, ethnicity, sexism and any discriminatory incidents such as xenophobia cannot be tolerated on our campuses,” he said.

Subsequent to the statement by the University’s management, students also held a demonstration on the Hatfield campus and also in the CBD of Hatfield in which they protested against hatred, violence and shameful conduct of South Africans against foreign nationals.

The students also launched the Do You Care? campaign aimed at collecting goods to be handed over to the victims of xenophobia. The University of Pretoria, in conjunction with the Do You Care? student campaign, also set up a central collection point. The collection point is situated at the entrance foyer of the Humanities (GW) building (at the Hatfield campus of the University).

This is the busiest area of them all since it is opposite the library and also closer to the main entrance.

Both Prof Pistorius and Vice-Principal Professor Chris de Beer visited the venue (Humanities building) last Friday (30 May) and also donated some goods.

The University has arranged with other agencies to periodically send trucks to collect the goods from the University’s storeroom so that they can be distributed to the needy.

The donation coordinating team says that the following items are urgently required: non-perishable foods (e.g. tin foods/ high-protein foods, etc.); first aid items (e.g. Immodium, Dettol, Panado, Panado Syrup for children); cleaning products such as mops, Jik, disinfectants; toilet paper; sanitary towels; babies nappies/ baby formula/ baby cream; washcloths/towels; buckets; soap; toothpaste; toothbrushes; clothing (old and new + warm); blankets; etc.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Calie Pistorius, Tshegofatso Sehlodimela and Prof Chris de Beer