News24 | Court halts evictions at Walter Sisulu University, but rules against vandalising of campus

Walter Sisulu University (WSU) has been interdicted from evicting students amid protests. (Walter Sisulu University)

• A Walter Sisulu University student died after allegedly being shot during a confrontation over residence living conditions.
• The Mthatha campus has been protected against property damage, while the SRC secured an interdict against evictions.
• An independent investigation is to be conducted to probe the underlying causes of the latest violent actions by students. 

The Eastern Cape High Court in Mthatha has interdicted Walter Sisulu University (WSU) from evicting students following a week of chaotic scenes that led to the death of a student.

The court, however, also interdicted students from vandalising university property. 

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This after the university’s Student Representative Council (SRC) launched an urgent court interdict following an announcement by vice-chancellor, Professor Rushiella Songca, on Thursday that students needed to vacate their Mthatha residences by close of business on Friday.

On Tuesday, Bachelor of Education student Sisonke Mbolekwa died after being shot on campus following a confrontation between students and a residence manager over living conditions in residences. Two other students were injured during the incident.

University property suffered extensive damage during the students’ confrontation with security guards. A residence manager’s vehicle was also burnt on Tuesday, allegedly by students. 

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Songca said that, after consultation with university council chairperson, advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC, it was decided the Mthatha campus needed to be closed with immediate effect.

Songca said all teaching and learning activities were to be done online during the closure period, with the face-to-face interaction set to commence on 5 May.

But student leaders argued that eviction was unfair as some students, whose homes are far from the university, had no alternative places to stay in Mthatha.

The urgent court interdict on Friday evening was heard by Judge Mbulelo Jolwana.

Jolwana made it clear he was not going to grant an order that would result in students being protected from eviction, "so that they continue or start to conduct themselves [in] criminal [ways]".

"I can’t allow that," Jolwana said.

Jolwana continued: 

"It does not serve anybody’s interest for the property [of the university] to be destroyed or lives to be lost. They (students) should be each other’s protector to ensure that there is a very useful environment for academic purposes, which everybody is there for."

Meanwhile, the university council was set to visit Mbolekwa’s homestead in Matatiele on Saturday.

In a statement on Thursday, Ngcukaitobi said the council required an immediate enforcement of the "no guns" policy inside the university’s campuses. 

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"An independent investigation, led by retired Justice Chris Jafta, assisted by two advocates and an attorney, will be appointed by the registrar on behalf of the council to conduct a thorough investigation into the events, including their underlying causes, and other previous instances of a similar nature, and whether there were any lapses on either students and any organ of the university in managing the situation," said Ngcukaitobi.

On Thursday, Eastern Cape police arrested a suspect in connection with the murder of Mbolekwa and the attempted murder of other students.

The 54-year-old is expected to appear in the Mthatha Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.