Nomsa Ngubeni has worked hard throughout her schooling career, her dedication and determination has paid off as she has recently obtained her Journalism qualification at the Tshwane University of Technology.
From a young age, Ngubeni always knew that she wanted to be a journalist. Journalism has always been her first choice. While growing up her grandparents would buy magazines and newspapers for Ngubeni, they would even force her to watch the news and listen to radio, that was how it started.
She embarked on her journey in 2018. Like any other student, she enjoyed her space for the first time far away from home.
The change began on the 27th of August 2018 when Ngubeni was raped on the campus by a student that had actually been bothering and harassing her for months on the campus. Ngubeni shared her story with Ekurhuleni News, outlining that, “At that point and time, I did not think things would get out of hand. I saw the signs but I ignored them. Such as, he (my rapist) would see me with male classmates or friends and would approach them, threaten them or beat them up for being around me. Things got worse with time, I’d change routes whenever I see him as he would cause a scene just so people would see him with me or he would also claim I’m his “girlfriend.” I did not report this; I did not think he would do anything bad to me. There came a time were a student was shot and killed by the police just outside the campus, this caused a strike on both campuses. It was chaotic. Tires were burnt, classes were cancelled and officers/ guards on campus stopped doing their job. Day after, the rape incident happened. I had two friends that did not reside in the campus, they came to visit me on campus at around 16 :30 and left around 18:00.
A friend of mine and I accompanied them just outside the campus as they were leaving, on our way out I immediately spotted my rapist and his friends just outside the campus at a local tavern. I asked my friend if we could walk a little fast so he could not see me and we did but it was already too late. When we went back to the campus, we found them drunk on the road, throwing around bottles, brunches and tires on the road.
We tried to walk ahead of them but, they followed us into the campus. Followed us to the side which my res was located. One of his friends (at that time) was asking out my roommate (then friend) or they were already dating as I was not too sure about that. I went to my room to call out my roommate who then asked me not to leave him with those guys alone. I walked out with her again. She then left me with those guys who pointed at me with knives, pulling me and threatening to kill me if I don’t do as they say. I did not want to be killed so I went where they wanted me to go, they left me in a room with my rapist who also left the room few a minutes after. I tried to scream, I tried to knock on the door, I tried to make calls but had no network and I eventually gave up. He came back, he was drunk. He adamantly said, “You’re my wife I will marry you by force” talk, “siyaloya ekhaya ngizoku loya, ngizoku limaza mawungazama ukwenza ubu lima.” “Noma ungabiza ama phoyisa or ungibophisa, angisabi ukuboshwa zobe ngingaqali.” I begged him to let me go. He threatened me numerous times. Few minutes into that, my roommate and her boyfriend (I assume) walked in. Switched off the light and demanded that we all slept. I cried and begged to leave the room. I was not allowed. I asked several times to go to the bathroom so I could get help or escape somehow but could not as my rapist would walk me into the toilet and wait right in front of the door until I was done. He then took me back to the room and begged me for sex (this happened for some time) I said no numerous times. He gave me one hot slap on the face, strangled me and eventually took off my pants (while I was strangled) and he raped me. In the presence of my roommate and her boyfriend (still assuming he was her boyfriend).
Ngubeni expresses how she wanted to dropout as the incident broke her badly. “I did not want any professional help because I believed and still believe counselling will not ease nor erase the pain. This affected me so badly I stopped attending classes for a while because I was afraid. Every student on campus somehow knew I was the one raped, they insulted me. I would get threats from his friends, some students would say am lying, posts about me were shared on social media and the very same girl that I was raped in front of spread false rumours about me. I was broken to the core. Right after my roommate had told my rapist that I reported the matter to the police, he vanished and he was nowhere to be found.
By Vuyokazi Bam
