Race row explodes at South African university after white student urinates on Black student’s belongings

Theuns du Toit has been suspended after he was caught urinating on the laptop of fellow student Babalo Ndwayana

A student holds up a poster saying ‘Am I the next toilet?’ at a student protest against racism at the University of Stellenbosch (AFP via Getty)

Footage of a white student urinating on a Black classmate’s belongings at one of South Africa’s oldest universities has reopened old wounds in a country still traumatised by apartheid.

This week, Stellenbosch University suspended Theuns du Toit and launched a formal investigation after the student was filmed urinating on the laptop, notes and desk of Babalo Ndwayana. Large student protests quickly followed on campus.

“It was very upsetting to see something like this happen in this day and age,” Rowena Muravha, a 21-year-old engineering student at Stellenbosch, told The Independent, adding that prejudice is not uncommon on campus. “It is shocking that there are people who are still racist to this extent.”