In a shocking development, Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr. Nobuhle Nkabane confirmed that the student shot and killed at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) was indeed registered at the institution.
Speaking at the university’s Mthatha campus on Wednesday afternoon, Nkabane said the deceased, Sisonke Mbolekwa, was confirmed as a student through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) records.
“The unfortunate part is that the department issued a statement without doing due diligence or quality checks to verify whether the student was registered,” she said.
“On Tuesday evening, after noticing contradicting views, I asked the Director-General to verify. According to our NSFAS records, the last payment of funds to the student and the university was made at the end of last year.”
She added: “So I can affirm today that, indeed, he was a student.”
Mbolekwa was allegedly shot during student protests on the evening of Monday, April 14. The incident sparked outrage over poor residence conditions.
Images shared on social media showed cracked walls, broken tiles, and ceilings in disrepair in accommodations reportedly accredited by NSFAS.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Nobantu Gantana said that around 7am on Tuesday, a group of students stormed the on-campus residence of the manager and his family, confronting him over living conditions.
During the confrontation, the manager allegedly opened fire, killing one student and injuring another.
“It is alleged that the residence manager shot two male students. One died at the scene, and another was rushed to hospital,” said Gantana.
She added that the manager’s vehicle was set alight, and his wife was struck in the head with a hard object during the unrest.
Police from Mthatha Public Order Policing (POP) rescued the family from the scene.
Gantana also noted that no arrests have been made, as students are reportedly preventing officers from accessing the area or speaking with witnesses.
Initially, the university stated the deceased was not enrolled at the institution.
“This individual is not a registered student nor a staff member of the university,” said university spokesperson Yonela Tukwayo on Tuesday.
However, earlier on Wednesday, the Mbolekwa family reportedly identified the victim’s body at a local mortuary in Mthatha.
The family confirmed that Sisonke Mbolekwa had been studying at Walter Sisulu University before his death.
He was allegedly shot by the residence manager after students began pelting rocks at the manager’s residence during the protest.
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