Illegal late-night raids on WSU’s student rooms had led to protest action that culminated in the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old student in April.
This is according to WSU vice-chancellor Prof Rushiella Songca.
Giving evidence during her second-day appearance before the commission of inquiry into the shooting of a number of students at her university, Songca conceded that the shooting of the student could have been avoided if the unauthorised raids, by murder accused residence manager Manelisi Mampana using a master key, had not been conducted.
Songca told the commission that even though she had commissioned an investigation against implicated officials on the raids, she was not sure whether such a probe did take place, as she had never received a feedback report.
Even though students had complained about such raids weeks before the protest that led to the shooting, no action had been taken by university management, Songca conceded before the commission chaired by retired Constitutional Court judge Chris Jafta at a Chintsa golf estate outside East London on Thursday.
The inquiry comes after the death of Sisonke Mbolekwa, 24, who was gunned down, allegedly by Mampana during a violent student protest at the institution's Mthatha campus in April, where two other students were left injured.
The Jafta commission is also investigating the shooting of Lizwa Ndzumo and Ntando Ggqetywa on April 15, the same day Sisonke was killed, as well as that of Sethu Ndamase, allegedly by a security guard on March 12.
The third-year medical student, Ndamase, was allegedly shot by a security guard employed by Ka-Myaluza Security, which vets entry points into the campus.
Mampana stands accused of the murder of third-year student Mbolekwa and attempted murder of Ndzumo.
He also faces charges of possession of a firearm with intent to commit a crime and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
The commission, Jafta said, had previously been informed that the protest had come following Mampana’s conduct of storming into student rooms, late at night, with armed security, to enforce what has been referred to as “Rule 18”.
Rule 18 is a policy barring students from entering residences after 10pm, unless authorised.
Mampana is understood to have used the policy to “raid” rooms, late at night, to check if any unauthorised visitors were there after curfew.
He is said to have gained access to the rooms using a master key, even if students, including females, were asleep.
Songca told the commission that the way Mampana enforced the policy, had not been authorised by varsity bosses and it was such actions that had led to the deadly student protest on the day Mbolekwa was shot dead.
“Such raids were illegal, and a serious breach of our policies. When I heard about such allegations regarding these raids, I felt that this was a serious misconduct.
“It was brought to my attention by the students who had raised some concern, and when I heard about it, I ordered that such be investigated and that if found true, action be taken against implicated officials,” Songca said.
Songca, however, told evidence leader advocate Zizipho Zitha that part of the investigation had been to determine that in conducting such spot checks, the official had exceeded his delegated powers.
“I said such should be investigated and if found right, people should be charged.”
Zitha said the issue about these illegal raids had been raised by students before the deadly protest, but their concerns had been ignored by management.
Songca conceded to that, while Jafta said such illegal raids were serious misconduct, and that his commission had been told by a female student that it happened while she was sleeping naked.
Songca also said students who had lost their room keys, were charged R500 to replace them, a move she said they later asked be done away with.
She also said allegations had been made that some of those responsible for room allocations at the university were not allocating all the available rooms to students, “but would instead keep a room or two, and then charge double the price for them, for their own benefit”.
“I also ordered that such be investigated.”
Jafta said the commission had previously been told by Dr Lonwabo Vikilahle, former acting director of residences at the campus in Mthatha, that Mampana repeatedly ignored warnings about the raids, which were conducted without permission under the guise of enforcing a controversial curfew rule.
Daily Dispatch
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