Doors in Metanoia marked with oil during alleged “prayer session”

Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Equality Unit is currently discussing an incident believed to have happened at a co-ed student residence during which some students’ room doors have been “anointed” with oil.

This was according to Dave Binza, primarius of Metanoia residence for 2021/2022. 

The incident, which took place at Metanoia residence during the first week of October, was confirmed by Martin Viljoen, spokesperson of SU. 

The marking of the doors with oil was allegedly part of a prayer session, according to Shofar Stellenbosch, a local Christian church.

According to Binza, the Equality Unit will proceed with an investigation into the matter. This comes after 22 students confirmed the incident in a document drafted and sent to the Equality Unit on 9 October, he added. 

^{Stellenbosch University (SU) affirms the freedom of religion, as it is protected by the Constitution and finds expression in the Bill of Rights, but also affirms the right of students not to practice religion, and not to be made uncomfortable by the practices of others, said Martin Viljoen, spokesperson of SU. This comes after an incident in which students in Metanoia residence allegedly “anointed” other students’ doors with oil. PHOTO: Heléne Leonard}

The executive committee of Metanoia confirmed that the inside of one student’s room was also “anointed” during the incident. “We […] consider this an invasion of privacy,” said Binza.

Unclear motives

There is a lack of clarity among students as to why only some students’ doors were anointed with oil, according to Colenso Holder, a third-year BComm international business student at SU, who resides in Metanoia.

“It appears that rooms that were visited encompass a diverse demographic in respect of race, sexuality, and religion or beliefs. Therefore, it is still unclear if there was intention to target residents assumed to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community,” said Binza.

^{Colenso Holder, a third-year BComm international business student at Stellenbosch University who resides in Metanoia, explains that it seems that the doors that were “anointed” with oil in the residence belonged to members of the LGBTQIA+ community and non-Christian students. AUDIO: Heléne Leonard}

Some students in Metanoia claimed that the students who marked the doors with oil are affiliated with the Shofar Stellenbosch, said Holder. The students allegedly “anointed” the doors of students who were assumed to be non-Christian or from the LGBTQIA+ community, he added. 

“You can probably not know that for sure, but this [marking of minority groups’ doors] is the trend that was picked up,” said Holder.

^{Shofar Stellenbosch, a local Christian church, claims that the incident that took place at Metanoia residence, during which some students’ doors were “anointed” with oil, was a prayer meeting. They added that there was no specific church involved in this incident, and that Shofar only became aware of it after a media enquiry. This was according to a statement that Shofar sent to MatieMedia. PHOTO: Heléne Leonard}

Shofar Stellenbosch confirmed that they are aware of the incident that took place at Metanoia, adding that they only became aware of it after receiving a media enquiry. According to Shofar Stellenbosch, the incident was a prayer meeting. 

“It is our understanding that the prayer meeting was attended by Christians from different churches and not just one church,” according to Shofar Stellenbosch, in a statement sent to MatieMedia via WhatsApp.

^{This is one of the doors that was anointed in Metanoia. The oil was drawn in a cross shape. PHOTO: Colenso Holder}