By Thapelo Molefe
Walter Sisulu University (WSU) has sparked fury among its student body after claiming that the person killed in a shooting on its Mthatha campus is not a registered student — a statement that student leaders have condemned as an attempt to erase the victim’s identity and deflect accountability.
The university released a statement saying that protests had erupted “without prior notice” and escalated into a violent home invasion at a staff residence on campus on Tuesday.
During the incident, WSU said two students were injured and later discharged from hospital, while one individual was fatally shot.
The university said the individual who died was “not a registered student nor a staff member”, a declaration that student leadership have slammed as a “disrespectful and dishonest” attempt to distance the institution from taking account.
Both the Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) and the Mthatha campus SRC have rejected that version of events, identifying the deceased as Sisonke Mbolekwa, a student and activist on campus.
They accuse the university of using deregistration tactics to strip the slain student of his dignity and to protect the alleged perpetrator, who is a residence manager.
“The university’s attempt to dehumanise Sisonke by denying his student status is not only inhumane but a direct assault on the student body,” said the Mthatha Campus SRC in a strongly worded statement.
“He was one of us. A brother. A comrade. A student.”
According to the ISRC, four students were shot, not two, in the early hours of Tuesday morning while protesting against poor residence conditions and alleged misconduct by the residence manager.
The students say that university officials had long been warned about the manager’s “mafia tendencies” and dismissive attitude toward student welfare.
“This was not an isolated incident,” the ISRC declared. “We raised concerns repeatedly about (the residence manager), but they were ignored. Now a student is dead.”
The university’s statement focused on the violence of the incident, noting that the residence manager’s wife was seriously injured during the confrontation and had to be hospitalised while the staff member and children were rescued by police.
WSU also condemned the unrest and urged students to use “established internal channels” for resolving grievances.
“We urge the university community to rely only on official statements,” said WSU spokesperson Yonela Tukwayo.
But student leaders argue that peaceful efforts have failed, and that systemic issues with security, residence management and university responsiveness have pushed them to the brink.
They also demanded the immediate removal of KaMyaluza Security, a company they accuse of multiple past incidents of violence, including firing at students and physically assaulting female students.
“This is the third confrontation with KaMyaluza, and in every case, they have instigated violence. Yet the university remains silent,” the ISRC stated.
“We call for their immediate removal from campus.”
In honour of the deceased, students gathered on Tuesday night for a candlelight vigil outside the administration block, all dressed in black.
Meanwhile, the Mthatha Campus SRC has declared a complete shutdown of the campus and the town until their demands are met and justice is served.
“We will not be silenced. This is not just about Sisonke — it is about the soul of this university,” read the SRC’s rallying call.
“No lectures, no administration, no compromise. We want justice.”
WSU said investigations were underway and urged the community to await verified information from official sources.
However, trust between students and management appears to be at a breaking point.
Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane has confirmed that she urgently engaged WSU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Rushiella Nolundi Songca for a full briefing and has requested a comprehensive report on the incident.
The minister also announced plans to visit the university in the coming days to meet with stakeholders and ensure that appropriate measures are taken to protect the academic community.
“No student should ever be harmed while accessing their right to education,” Nkabane stated.
“This must be the last time we are forced to respond to such a tragedy at our institutions.”
As tensions rise and protests intensify, the university faces mounting pressure to account for its actions and inactions in the events leading up to the fatal shooting and how it has responded to a grieving and outraged student body.
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