Question NW878 to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

Reply:

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

The department did not have sexual harassment incidents and sexual assault incidents reported for the past three financial years and the period 1 April 2021 to March 2022. The table below provides a response to the questions asked.

QUESTION	3 Financial years
What (a) is the total number of incidents of (i) sexual harassment and (ii) sexual assault that were reported in his department (aa) in each of the past three financial years and (bb) since 1 April 2021	2019 - 2020	2020 - 2021	2021 - 2022
(b) Number of cases	0	0	0
(i) Opened and concluded	0	0	0
(ii) Withdrawn	0	0	0
iii) Remain open or pending based on the incidents	0	0	0
(c) Sanctions were meted out against each person who was found guilty?	0	0	0

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING:

a i) There were 13 sexual harassment cases reported during the period 2018/19 to 2020/21 

  ii) There were no cases of sexual assault that were reported during the period 2018/19 to 2020/21 

(aa) The following breakdown applies in each three past financial years: 

(i) 2018/19: there was one (1) reported case

(ii) 2019/20: there were three (3) reported cases 

(iii) 2020/21: there were nine (9) reported cases 

(bb) Two (2) cases of sexual harassment were reported and there was no case of sexual assault reported since April 2021 

b) Out of a total of 15 misconduct cases opened:

i) A total of 11 cases were concluded

 ii) A total of 2 misconduct cases were withdrawn 

iii) A total of 2 misconduct cases remain open or pending 

c) The following sanctions were meted out against the alleged persons: - 8 sanctions of dismissals were meted, - 1 sanction of a final written warning was meted; - 1 sanction of a 3 months suspension without pay; was meted; and - 1 case was not found guilty.