'We will find out who microwaved the cat'

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_i...5143776C837261

'We will find out who microwaved the cat'

By Bonny Verwey

The authorities are confident that those guilty of microwaving a cat
at the Pinewood Residence at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's
Edgewood Campus will be found by the end of the week.

The incident evoked outrage from education professionals and members
of the public, and the SPCA said it was not taking the situation
lightly.

Students have been given until Monday to submit a report on their
whereabouts at the time of the incident, and any information they have
on suspects.

According to SPCA inspector Roland Fivaz, any student who does not
submit this report will be arrested for "obstructing an officer in the
course of his duty".

"We will be sifting through the reports carefully and
cross-referencing all the statements, and will even be going as far as
looking for alibis," said Fivaz. On Friday he issued a warrant to
remove the microwave, and will be using it as evidence in his
investigation.

"I will be meeting the manufacturers of the microwave oven and getting
specific information, such as the temperatures the oven will reach,
and how long it would take for certain substances to reach boiling
point," he said. "I will also be examining the scratch marks on the
inside of the microwave as well as any hair from the cat which may be
present."

The seriousness with which the investigation was being conducted had
taken students by surprise, he said, and this, combined with other
pressures, had resulted in many anonymous calls about the identities
of the suspects.

The Students' Representative Council imposed a R100 fine on all
students at the residence until the culprits were caught.

Nkosinathi Gwala, the head of the council at the Edgewood campus, said
that a few students had already been rejected by their prospective
employers because of their association with the Edgewood campus.

This, and the fact that some students could not afford the R100 fine,
was starting to make them come forward with information.