A protest at Walter Sisulu University’s main campus in Mthatha turned tragic when a university employee allegedly opened fire on students, leaving one dead and three injured.
Image: WalterSisuluUniversity/Facebook
THE review of safety protocols at institutions of higher learning will help address the alarming trend of weaponising and militarising campuses, says Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane.
She made the remarks when visiting the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in Mthata, Eastern Cape where a student was shot dead and two more wounded during a protest over accommodation-related issues on Tuesday. They were marching to a residence manager’s place when shots were fired.
The university initially claimed the deceased may not have been a registered student. However Nkabane confirmed on Wednesday that indeed the deceased had been a recipient of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The student has since been identified as 24-year-old Sisonke Mbolekwa from Matatiele.
“According to NSFAS records, the last payment to the university and the student was at the end of the year, last year. He was a student. Some technicalities (we are) not going to enter into.
“We are here as the department to show solidarity to the community of this university and the broader community of the post school education and training system in South Africa. We are saddened by this tragic incident, as a mother, I'm broken,” said Nkabane.
She said they could not visit the hospital because the students had been discharged but they were going to visit the family of Mbolekwa in Matatiele.
“We condemn what has happened here, we have been observing throughout our institutions there is a weaponising and militarising of our campuses. As a department we are working to review our safety protocols that are going to assist us in strengthening our safety framework as we move forward.”
Nkabane will be issuing a notice to the university council to look into the matter and receiving the findings, “there will be consequence management,” she said.
On conditions at the residences, she said they would be conducting oversight to check if they comply with norms and standards for university accommodations.
Pictures showing the deteriorating condition of student accommodation, reportedly accredited by NSFAS, have been circulating on social media. They show floors and walls missing tiles, as well as ceilings in a state of disrepair.
The university management had said it had been caught by surprise by the unrest as no issues by the Student Representative Council had been raised with it.
“In this violent incident, the staff member’s wife sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving medical care in hospital. The staff member and his young children had to be rescued by the South African Police Services (SAPS). Precautionary measures have been taken to ensure the safety of other staff members who reside on campus.”
According to the students, the state of their living conditions had been previously raised on several occasions with management before they were shot at allegedly by the residence manager.
Police have yet to arrest anyone over the incident.
South African Union of Students (Saus) spokesperson, Asive Dlanjwa said: “We are devastated at the loss of life. We must condemn the violence that has taken place at the university especially to the extent that a life has been lost. We must further condemn the university for distinguishing what type of person’s life was involved.
"The distinction of whether the person was a student or not, is an immaterial fact. The fact is the person was on the premises of the institution and had been shot, it could have been any other student. From our preliminary investigations as a union, we have been able to establish that in fact the person who shot was a student. We call on law enforcement to expedite the process of bringing to justice all those that were responsible.”
WSU did not respond to further questions on the matter by deadline.
*Additional reporting by Simon Majadibodu.
Cape Times