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Cape Town - Stellenbosch University is the latest tertiary institution to find itself at the centre of a ‘blackface’ scandal after a photo showing two students covered in a black paint-type substance started being shared on social media.
In the photo the two students are supposed to be dressed as US tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams. They were attending a 21st party.
The caption on the photo reads: “Hanging out with the Williams Sisters [sic] last night at the Boli’s 21st. Let’s hope they don’t get kicked out the varsity for this one!”
The photo was widely shared on Twitter with many calling for the students concerned to be kicked out of the university.
The university’s spokesperson Martin Viljoen told News24 the institution was trying to verify if those pictured were in fact Stellenbosch University students.
He said he had only just heard about the incident and, at the time of publishing, didn’t think the university’s management had any knowledge of it.
The incident comes a few months after two University of Pretoria students came under fire for dressing up as domestic workers and smearing themselves in dark brown paint.
The University of Pretoria said there was an ongoing investigation.
- Update: By 14:30, the university had responded to the incident. See the article here.
