The South African Human Rights Commission announced on Monday that it was investigating threats of sexual violence against the newly installed Unisa vice-chancellor, allegedly made by a National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) branch secretary in an audio tape.

In the recording, which Pretoria Rekord has a copy of, a man can be heard talking about plans to attack vice-chancellor Puleng LenkaBula and other female members of her staff as well as burn down their cars with a view to collapsing the university.

The man can be heard making lewd and derogatory remarks against LenkaBula and women staff members while addressing union members protesting at the university’s main campus in Pretoria recently.

The man in the recording is reportedly Nehawu branch secretary Thembani Baloyi.

“While the commission accepts that individuals must be given the freedom to form and express opinions without restraint on a wide range of matters, allegations about offensive and controversial expressions cannot be condoned or left unattended,” the SAHRC said.

Nehawu national spokesperson Lwazi Nkolonzi confirmed that the union was also probing the allegations.

“We are investigating the matter and we will issue a statement once we have concluded the investigation.”

The newspaper reached out to Baloyi for comment but none was received by our time of publication.

Unisa has been entangled in a dispute over salary increases with the union since early this year, which led to protest and the suspension of graduation ceremonies.

The university responded by suspending five employees affiliated to the union while staff allegedly torched a university guardhouse and burned tyres in the driveway to the vice chancellor’s official residence in Muckleneuk.

It is alleged protesters screamed ‘this is just a warning shot’.

Nehawu Tshwane regional chairperson Ivan Ramogale condemned the acts of violence.

Unisa spokesperson Martin Ramotshela initially said the university’s autumn graduations ceremonies scheduled for end of June would be postponed to July 1 to 8.

He confirmed that the university had terminated the employment of five staffers.

“The contracts of employment of the five former employees, who are leaders of Nehawu, were terminated in May.”

He said the former staffers had referred the matter to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).

*This article has been amended. It previously stated that a national newspaper identified the man allegedly speaking on the audio recording, as a Nehawu branch secretary. It also did not include the fact that the man in question was contacted for comment by Pretoria Rekord.

Previously Rekord quoted City Press in saying that the Nehawu branch secretary made lewd and derogatory remarks against LenkaBula and women staff members while addressing union members protesting in Pretoria recently.