On Friday, the first of August, I had my 21st birthday party at my girlfriend’s digs. We sent little letters to the neighbours, stating that we would try to keep the volume to a minimum, and asked if they could please excuse this one night, since it was the first party to be had on that premise all year… What happened: two months later my girlfriend was served with a disciplinary hearing on the basis of bringing Rhodes’ name into disrepute.
Now, being a private residence, i.e. a digs, I found it hard to fathom how this appeal could have gotten through to the Oppidan committee and taken seriously. I mean, in any normal residential area, if your neighbours are carrying on after twelve, and you have asked them to please quieten down, the rational human being would call the cops. But no, African street works differently. Her neighbours also happen to be two employees of Rhodes University, hmmm, disrepute? Excessive noise? or just an inclination of one employee to another?
Anyway, so we had the party. Yes, we got really drunk, and, yes again, we carried on with the music after they had asked us to be quiet. But here’s my idea on what happened. They asked us to be quiet after 12, then again perhaps at 01:30, and again at about 02:00. Surely they would have realised that we were too inebriated to act accordingly? How many times does it take for one to realise that reasoning doesn’t work after a couple of drinks? Next step? Well, as stated above, the cops maybe? No, not in this particular case. The evidence started to prevail months later that theses two neighbours concerned, actively sought out to get these girls (my girlfriend and her digs mate) punished. Their reason for not calling the cops, which came out in the hearing, was because they have seen how cops handle drunk students, and that they would never dream of putting these two young girls through such an ordeal. Yip, that was their reason. Why would there be an ordeal? Do they actually think that we would question the police’s authority, and even if we did, we would then surely deserve that ill fate upon us, but don’t lie there, in bed, and deviously conspire: “OOO, I can’t wait to nail these bastards!”, which is quite likely what was thought.
After being served with the accusation of bringing Rhodes’ name into disrepute, my girlfriend and I went to all the other neighbours, to ask if they had any qualms on that Friday night, two months ago. No. Next step, we went to see a lawyer. He examined the case, and pointed out that the accusation was not based on loud noise, but that it was in contravening Rule 15.28 of the Student Disciplinary Code: engaging in conduct which is likely to bring Rhodes’ name into disrepute.
So he gave them two options: admit to the offence, and apologise, hoping to come out with a minimal punishment; or to plead guilty of making a noise, but not-guilty of bringing the university’s name into disrepute. We chose the latter, and the two girls went in, and fought the accusations lain against them.
The details of the hearing I do not know, since I wasn’t allowed in. But I do know that on entrance, when greeted by my girlfriend and her digs mate, the neighbours didn’t even respond, nor would they look into their eyes. The case went on, with the mechanical shenanigans of any hearing of the court of law. Hours went by, and no verdict. They were asked to return four days later for the verdict. Sweat and nerves, four days went by. They went to the verdict only to hear… NOT GUILTY.
Relief, yes. Justice, of course. But what buggers me up is that they needed a lawyer to go about it, a lump of cash for justice! So who has to pay the bill? Surely the opposition should be charged with the bill. After all, it was their case, and they lost. Students are trampled upon in this town, especially oppidans. Estate agents, municipality, and now neighbours? Where does the justice lie? Fuck it, I don’t know!
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