Teen accused of murdering Maties student due back in court for bail application

CAPE TOWN - A teenager accused of murdering a Stellenbosch University student is expected to appear in the Stellenbosch Magistrates Court on Monday for his bail application.

The suspect was arrested last Wednesday, while three others linked to the killing were nabbed the following day.

First-year BSc student, Jesse Mitchell, was attacked and robbed while riding his bicycle on Borcherd Street outside the university last Wednesday morning. 

His body, with stab wounds around the neck, was discovered by campus security.

The 19-year-old's family has requested privacy as they mourn the tragic loss of their son.

In the meantime, the university told Eyewitness News that crime had become a significant concern and that security measures were regularly reviewed to keep up with current trends.

The institution said that its safety challenges were worsened by the campus being open to the public.

The University's spokesperson, Martin Viljoen: "In addition, regular awareness actions and initiatives undertaken by the University include crime prevention and awareness information sessions, then also social media campaigns for campus safety awareness promoting the university's free walk with service every evening from six o'clock onwards where students can ask to be accompanied by a security officer."
 
Meanwhile, some students at the institution have told Eyewitness News that they don't feel safe following the murder or their fellow student.

"We need to be informed if we should be more on alert and be more conscious of our environment," one student said.

"We have incidents where people that are maybe a bit more aggressive in terms of like begging can also come in, there's no real coverage," another student said. 

"I just feel like there should be more action that is taken for the safety of all students," one added.