Tensions flared at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape on Thursday as security guards fired rubber bullets at students, following the death of a fellow student shot while protesting over poor accommodation.
Videos and pictures circulating on social media show chaos at the KTC residence, with uniformed security guards shooting at protesting students.
Some images show injured students and broken windows.
Cracked walls, damaged ceilings, and shattered tiles are among the grievances over conditions at residences, accredited by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The protests erupted after the death of Sisonke Mbolekwa, a WSU student who was fatally shot on Tuesday, allegedly by a residence official when students reportedly stormed his on-campus home and set his car alight.
Three other students were injured in the same incident and taken to hospital.
Meanwhile, Dr Lunga Xolisa Mantashe, president of the WSU Convocation, said the protests stemmed from longstanding grievances, including demands for appliances in new residences and concerns over restricted visiting hours, which he said must be addressed urgently.
“Students must have the right to free movement, including visiting each other at times of their choosing,” said Mantashe.
Mantashe confirmed that the Student Representative Council (SRC) had met with the university council on Wednesday to raise concerns about the poor state of student accommodations.
He said the university must take full responsibility for Mbolekwa’s death.
“Any form of justification minimises the value of Sisonke's life,” Mantashe said.
“The residence manager must be dismissed without delay, and the law must take its course.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Nobuhle Nkabane confirmed that Mbolekwa was a registered student at WSU, contradicting earlier claims by the university.
Speaking at the university’s Mthatha campus on Wednesday, Nkabane said the deceased had been verified as a registered student through 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,” Nkabane said.
“According to our NSFAS records, the last payment of funds to the student and the university was made at the end of last year. So, I can affirm today that, indeed, he was a student.”
Initially, WSU spokesperson Yonela Tukwayo stated the deceased was neither a registered student nor a university staff member.
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