Politics divide DUT students after Mlungisi Madonsela’s death

Twenty-one-year-old Mlungisi Madonsela was shot on Tuesday during a scuffle between private security guards and protesting students.

FILE: A screengrab of members of EFF student reps demonstrating at the Durban University of Technology following the death of Mlungisi Madonsela. Picture: EWN

Ziyanda Ngcobo | 193 days ago

DURBAN - The death of a Durban University of Technology (DUT) student has been overshadowed by clashes between student groups on campus.

Twenty-one-year-old Mlungisi Madonsela was shot on Tuesday during a scuffle between private security guards and protesting students.

Madonsela was wounded when a shot allegedly fired by a guard struck him during the commotion. He died in hospital.

Students were meant to be speaking with one voice about the death of one of their own, instead, political differences have divided students at DUT.

#DUTshooting Tensions remain high between SASCO and EFF students here near the Standard Bank where Mlungisi Madonsela is believed to have been shot. They have held two separate briefings regarding what happened here yesterday. ZN pic.twitter.com/yl3OvwHDQk
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) February 6, 2019

Both the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Student Command and the African National Congress-aligned South African Students Congress (Sasco), held separate briefings just a few metres apart but soon a war of words erupted.

The EFF’s eThekwini region member Mlebuka Hlengwa claims the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) and Sascoc are intimidated by the red beret’s growing support.

“The ANC can see that the EFF Student Command is starting to enjoy hegemony within the universities.”

Earlier, a Sascoc organised briefing to give an update on demonstrations was disrupted by some EFF members.

#DUTShooting JUST IN: Some EFF members have just interrupted a press briefing that was being held by SASCO and the ANCYL a few meters away from the EFF outside the Standard Bank at the Steve Biko campus. Police have had to intervene and separate the two groups.ZN pic.twitter.com/5no0ExAUM3
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) February 6, 2019

Police are monitoring the situation while the campus remains closed for academic programmes.

DUT RESPONDS TO STUDENT’S MURDER

DUT’s vice-chancellor Thandwa Mthembu says the institution is not in a position to confirm whether it will be cancelling its contract with a security company whose officials used live ammunition on student protestors.

The university’s management held a briefing on Wednesday on the circumstances around the death of Madonsela.

#DUTShooting DUT VC Thandwa Mthembu says they condemn the use of live ammunition on the students. He says the two private security guards involved in scuffle were taken in for questioning by the SAPS yesterday afternoon. ZN pic.twitter.com/aeiFd7PmkD
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) February 6, 2019

Mthembu says only six of the 250 hired security officers are allowed to carry firearms for the purpose of dealing with crime around campus.

He says, unfortunately, there weren’t enough police officers on hand to manage the crowd on Tuesday and the armed officials were dispatched to the scene.

“Everbody was called in to help with the difficult situation we were facing. We had not expected that these security officers that are responsible for perimeter guarding would also find themselves involved.”

The two security guards implicated in the shooting were taken for questioning by the police on Tuesday and released on Wednesday morning.

Mthembu says it’s unfortunate that some members of Madonsela’s family did not hear the news of their relative’s death directly from authorities because his shooting was already being discussed on social media.

(Edited by Thapelo Lekabe)

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