The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) strongly condemns in the brutal shooting of students at Walter Sisulu University (WSU). This heinous and senseless killing of one student, and the injuries sustained by two other students, allegedly at the hands of a residence manager, is a gruesome reminder of how unsafe our society is.
That a student is shot and killed in cold blood allegedly by the very person tasked with ensuring his safety and hospitable stay at the university premises lays bare the crisis that characterises our society.
This gruesome killing of a student comes at the back of a protest staged by WSU students after their grievances about the inhospitable and unacceptable living conditions of their university residence went unaddressed. The students had voiced their grievances to the residence management as early as February, but the cries fell on deaf ears. They had put forward proposals which ranged from the need for a bigger study centre, safe accommodation, the removal of male security guards at female students’ residences to strong internet.
Following their submissions to the residence management, the students had patiently followed up with management about their grievances without success. And when the students finally took to protest, they were allegedly met with a trigger happy, gun-toting residence manager who opened fire indiscriminately killing one student and lending another in hospital.
SAFTU finds this saddening and needless killing of a student unfortunate in the extreme and calls for a thorough and transparent investigation into the exact details of the unfortunate incident to be conducted. We further call for those found responsible and or complicit in the brutal taking of a young life on the university premises to be held accountable and legally liable for their actions and or negligence.
Universities and other institutions of higher are supposed to be the bastions of culture, learning, contestation of ideas and the nurturing and development of the young who will inherit the country. This presupposes a safe, healthy and hospitable learning environment in which the young can freely engage without being menaced by criminals and gun-wielding university personnel.
And for this reason, SAFTU demands that the authorities take immediate and concrete steps to ensure the safety and security of all students on campus and further calls for the implementation if measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
SAFTU extends it condolences and solidarity to the family and friends of the student who needlessly lost his life. Further, SAFTU wishes a speedy recovery to the two other students who were injured in the incident.
We call on the government and university administration to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students and to work towards creating a conducive learning environment.
SAFTU will continue to fight for the rights of students and workers to a safe, dignified, and quality education.
A Statement was issued on behalf of SAFTU by General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.
For more details, contact the National Spokesperson at:
Newton Masuku
066 168 2157
Newtonm@saftu.org.za
