The University of Cape Town’s Faculty of Humanities notes with concern and displeasure a digital smear campaign against three trusted staff members – Dr June Bam-Hutchison, Tauriq Jenkins and Bradley Van Sitters – in which defamatory allegations and threats are made against their persons and professional integrity. Emails, text messages and social media posts that made wholly untrue claims about their actions and character were circulated on 13 October, related to their sterling and valuable work with the San and Khoi Centre at UCT.

The faculty rejects all the allegations made as part of the smear campaign, and confirms that these are false, malicious, and libellous. Dr Bam-Hutchison, Mr Jenkins and Mr Van Sitters have impeccable track records of scholarship and socially engaged work, and have devoted themselves to the public good, and we are pleased to count them as colleagues.

Dr Bam-Hutchison, Mr Jenkins and Mr Van Sitters have the faculty’s unequivocal support, including in the legal action taken to protect themselves against parties issuing threats against their persons.

We reiterate that all the claims made against our colleagues are false and malicious. The Faculty of Humanities demands an immediate ceasing of such communications.

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