KEY POINTS
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A Grade 10 pupil was murdered in Soweto following an altercation with UJ students, sparking a large protest by high school pupils at a UJ off-campus residence.
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Two UJ students are in police custody; the university has condemned the violence and promised disciplinary action if internal rules were violated.
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The incident highlights rising youth violence in South Africa and renews calls for improved safety and accountability in student accommodation areas.
Tensions ran high in Soweto on Wednesday as hundreds of students from Musi High School staged a protest outside a University of Johannesburg (UJ) off-campus residence in Power Park, demanding justice for the brutal killing of a Grade 10 pupil.
The protest, which drew attention from community leaders, police, and media, came just a day after the incident that has since shaken both the local school community and university circles.
According to Scebiso Masondo, a ward committee member in Power Park, the violence stemmed from a confrontation between a group of five UJ students and several high school pupils near Makentshe Student Accommodation on Tuesday afternoon.
“Five UJ students were banned from entering their residential area because they wanted to consume alcohol, and it was against the residential area principles. So when their alcohol was finished, they wanted more,” Masondo recounted. “As the school bus was passing through [the area], they stopped it asking [the driver] to take them to the nearest tavern… But the pupils disagreed and said they wanted to go home.”
Masondo further explained that after the students forcibly entered the bus and attempted to confiscate beanies from the school pupils, they were removed by the bus driver. However, Sowetanlive reported that the conflict escalated when some of the pupils, after being dropped off about 3km away, returned to confront the students and retrieve their belongings.
“They regrouped and went back to get their hats. That’s when this boy [pupil] was beaten with a baseball bat and hit with empty beer bottles. He was then stabbed and his throat slit open,” said Masondo, describing the attack that left the pupil dead at the scene.
University confirms detentions after protest
In response to growing public concern, University of Johannesburg spokesperson Lebogang Seale confirmed that two students had been arrested in connection with the incident and were currently in police custody in Soweto.
“The incident happened off campus at a privately-owned student accommodation establishment in the township. The incident is currently a subject of police investigations,” said Seale. “UJ wishes to state on record that it condemns in the strongest terms possible any acts of violence and intimidation.”
Seale emphasized the university’s commitment to student discipline and public safety, adding, “The university will not hesitate to take immediate and strong action against any violation of its rules. The university conveys its deepest condolences and sympathy to the family of the deceased learner.”
The protest, led by community members and schoolmates of the victim, briefly disrupted operations near the residence and drew a heavy police presence. Local activist Lwandile Ngwane, who helped coordinate the protest, said the attack reflected a broader problem of rising violence and lack of safety for students in mixed-use residential areas.
The murder has since sparked broader conversations about student safety, alcohol consumption near educational facilities, and the responsibilities of tertiary institutions regarding the conduct of their off-campus students.
This tragedy adds to a grim list of recent youth-related killings in South Africa. Just weeks ago, gang violence in Orange Farm claimed the lives of three young people, leading to school closures and parental panic. Last year, cases involving the rape and murder of female pupils in Gauteng and Limpopo also made headlines, raising concerns about systemic violence targeting school-aged children.
The police have not yet released the names of the arrested students, and investigations are ongoing. The Gauteng Department of Education is expected to provide counseling services to Musi High School pupils affected by the trauma.
