The Mthatha Magistrates Court granted bail to a 54-year-old man accused of shooting and killing Walter Sisulu University student Sisonke Mbolekwa during a protest at the Eastern Cape-based university.
The suspect was granted R10,000 bail after a brief court appearance. The incident occurred when students protested against the campus manager’s alleged abuse and mismanagement, resulting in Sisonke’s death and two other students being injured.
The university’s Student Representative Council President, Balungile Madikizela, described the events leading to Sisonke’s death as traumatic and revealed that the firearm used by the accused was not licensed.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Sihle Lonzi slammed the court for granting bail and for not allowing the media to broadcast the proceedings.
Sihle believes that the inefficiency of cases often begins with cover-ups and that the media should be allowed to cover the case. He plans to write to the Portfolio Committee’s chairperson to summon the university to account for the events that led to the student’s death.
The family of the deceased student also had a unique stance on the bail, with a family representative arguing that Sisonke was retreating when he was shot and killed. However, what was notable was that some students protested outside the court, but surprisingly, they demanded that the accused be granted bail, with some even storming out of the court in disagreement when the bail was granted. The university initially denied that Sisonke was a student at Walter Sisulu University, adding to the controversy surrounding the incident.
This incident comes on the heels of another controversy surrounding the university, where a video of their R38,000 accommodation went viral, highlighting the poor living conditions faced by students.
Many South Africans were appalled by the revelation, sparking a wider conversation about the state of higher education in the country.
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