By Thapelo Molefe
Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane has confirmed that the student who was shot dead at Walter Sisulu University on Tuesday is a registered student, which directly contradicts the university’s earlier press statement.
“According to our NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) record that I have here with me, the last payment of disbursement of funds to the university and to the students was at the end of last year. So, I can affirm today that indeed he was a student,” Nkabane said during a visit to the institution’s Mthatha campus on Wednesday.
Her confirmation comes after WSU issued a statement on Tuesday claiming that the deceased, who was killed during protests by students over living conditions at the university, was not registered.
The claim sparked outrage among the student body, which insisted the young man was actively attending classes and participating in campus life.
Nkabane said the error stemmed from a failure to verify the information provided by university management.
“Yes, I saw the university statement, but after we issued our own statement as the department. When I saw this trending on the news, I called Prof. Songca (the WSU Vice-Chancellor) to urgently brief me. She told me the student was not registered,” said Nkabane.
“The unfortunate part is that as the department, we issued a statement without doing due diligence or a quality check. But in the evening, after noticing contradicting views around the matter, I tasked the director-general to verify, and we confirmed he was indeed registered.”
Nkabane said she was “broken” by the incident and would be visiting the family of the student in Matatiele.
“I can’t even speak. I don’t know how I’m going to face the family,” she said. “As a mother, I’m broken, to be honest.”
The minister’s visit comes amid growing criticism of campus safety and the university’s handling of the situation.
The Student Representative Council has also demanded the immediate removal of KaMyaluza Security, which it accuses of multiple past incidents of violence, including firing at students and physically assaulting female students.
The residence manager, who allegedly shot Sisonke Mbolekwa, is now missing. Police confirmed that his phone is off.
Nkabane condemned what she described as a “new emergency in our institutions of weaponising and militarisation”. She said she would invoke Section 42 of the Higher Education Act to formally notify the university council to investigate the matter.
“We are not going to leave any stone unturned in ensuring that the case is attended to,” she said. “There will be consequence management.”
The incident has also reignited scrutiny of WSU’s long-standing issues with violence, particularly in the context of student protests.
In May 2023, the SA Human Rights Commission held an inquiry into the university, investigating claims of targeted violence against protesting students. The final report is yet to be released.
In addition to safety concerns, students have also raised issues about basic services, including poor water supply and inadequate accommodation.
Nkabane said she had discussed the matter with the campus president and promised an oversight visit to assess conditions and enforce compliance with national standards.
As the investigation into the fatal shooting continues, students and civil society groups are calling for swift justice and meaningful reforms to ensure such incidents are not repeated.
INSIDE EDUCATION
