The Durban University of Technology in KwaZulu-Natal is in mourning after suffering yet another tragic death inside one of its campuses.
This comes after a third-year business and information technology student, Ayanda Ngobese, was hit by a bus on campus and died on the spot.
According to eyewitnesses, the tragic incident happened on Monday evening inside the Midlands campus in Pietermaritzburg.
It is said that Ngobese was coming from a student rally when the incident happened.
“The bus hit her just after they had returned from the students’ rally, and she died on the spot. What is sad is that it happened inside the campus, raising suspicions that the bus could have been speeding in a restricted zone,” said an eyewitness.
University confirmed incident
Ngobese’s death is confirmed in an internal memo sent by university management to students and staff late on Tuesday.
“We are very sad to inform you of the tragic passing of Ms Ayanda Ngobese. A third-year student pursuing a Diploma in Business and Information Management.
“The tragic incident occurred on 15 September 2025, at approximately 21h30 in the Midlands. Ms Ngobese was involved in a fatal accident with a bus. The circumstances surrounding this tragedy are currently under police investigation. We kindly ask the DUT community to remain calm and allow the appropriate process to take their course,” management said in the memo.
Spate of tragic deaths at institution
Ngobese’s tragic death comes as the university is still reeling from three suicides by its students in Durban and Pietermaritzburg campuses within weeks.
The first one happened mid-last month when Siphiwokuhle Madela jumped to his death. This …was at the Steve Biko campus in Durban. A few days later, Manqoba Mnyandu, a third-year nursing student from the Midlands campus in Pietermaritzburg, disappeared. He was later found dead after he allegedly hanged himself.
Over the weekend, business and information management student Khethelo Sibiya also passed on. He allegedly jumped from a high-rise building at Hyper Velocity residence near Berea centre in Durban.
