Higher Education and Training Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane has apologised for an embarrassing error by previously stating that the person who was shot and killed during a student protest at Walter Sisulu University’s Mthatha Campus was not a student.
Nkabane retracted her previous statement, confirming that the deceased was indeed a WSU student. She had stated on Tuesday that the victim was not a registered student of the university.
The minister was speaking during a media briefing on Wednesday when she visited WSU’s Mthatha Campus following the shooting incident.
Deceased identified
The deceased student has been identified as 24-year-old male Sisonke Mbolekwa from Matatiele in the Eastern Cape.
“Yesterday [Tuesday], the [WSU] vice-chancellor Prof. [Rushiella] Songca briefed me and told me that the student is unregistered.
“The unfortunate part is that we issued our statement without doing due diligence. And no quality checks were made to see if the student is registered or not. When I saw the contradictory views in the media last night, I asked the DG to verify [if the deceased was a student or not].
Confirmed to be a student at the university
“According to NSFAS [National Students’ Financial Aid Scheme] records, the last payment of funds to the university and the student was the end of last year. I can affirm that he was a student. We are broken as a community. I cannot even speak. And I do not know how I am going to face the family [when I visit them tomorrow],” said Nkabane.
In her statement on Tuesday, Nkabane previously said: “The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, is deeply concerned by the unrest that took place at Walter Sisulu University’s Mthatha campus on the morning of 15 April 2025, where several individuals were injured. A person who is not a registered student or university staff member tragically lost their life during a violent incident.”
According to Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brig Nobuntu Gantana, a person was shot dead and another injured on the morning of Tuesday, April 15, at WSU’s Mthatha Campus.
Students protested over state of residences
Gantana said it is alleged that WSU Mthatha Campus students mobilised themselves on Monday night. This as they complained about the bad state of their residences.
“At about 7am early on Tuesday morning, students went to the residence manager who stays within the institution with his family to confront him about the poor state of their residences.
“It is alleged that the residence manager shot two male students. One died and another one survived and he was rushed to hospital for medical care. It is further reported that the students mobilised and the residence manager’s car was set alight. His wife was hit on the head with a hard object. The family was rescued by the Mthatha Public Order Policing,” said Gantana.
Another student discharged from hospital
The student who was taken to hospital has since been discharged.
Gantana said no arrests have been made yet, and she said police are still searching for the residence manager.
“Police are still looking for the suspect,” said Gantana.
She said the residence manager is not at his house, which is located within the campus. Police do not know where he is.
Sunday World asked if the residence manager is a wanted man by police. Gantana said: “The investigation is underway. No further information can be shared with the media at this time.”
The university released a media statement on Tuesday. It said two students also sustained minor injuries during the incident.
Conflicting statements about deceased student
“They were taken to hospital, treated, and have since been discharged. Tragically, a third person lost their life during the home invasion. This individual is not a registered student nor a staff member of the University,” said WSU’s statement.
Ndiyakholwa Ngqulu, who is the university’s special projects director in the vice-chancellor’s office, told Newzroom Afrika in an interview on Tuesday that the person who was shot and killed during the shooting incident was not a registered student at WSU for the 2025 academic year.
Ngqulu also said the deceased was not a staff member of the institution.
However, Ngqulu did say the deceased was a registered student with WSU in the 2024 academic year.
