KEY POINTS
- A court postponed the murder case against Manelisi Mampane while he applies for bail.
- Students conducted protests about substandard housing facilities which resulted in fatal violent clashes.
- An independent investigation is currently exploring all circumstances that caused Sisonke Mbolekwa’s death.
Manelisi Mampane who stands accused of murdering WSU student Sisonke Mbolekwa will seek bail through a formal application that has been rescheduled for May 2.
He remains in the Mthatha Magistrate’s Court custody. Manelisi Mampane appeared for the first time at the Mthatha Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday afternoon to apply for bond release.
Mbolekwa died from gunfire which police alleged Mampane responsible for during the WSU student protest. The budding protest started because university residences supported by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) had undergone declining living conditions. Staff treated three additional university students after they became injured in the fight.
Protests and violence at university residences
A student mob approached Mampane’s residence at the university to ask him about the poor situation in student housing before the confrontation occurred. After the dispute between Mampane and students he encountered he came under attack as students set fire to his vehicle.
Public recording was banned during the proceedings by court order as the case received a high degree of sensitivity yet the State did not object to this court-imposed limitation. Students from WSU conducted outside court demonstrations to ask for Mampane to stay confined in jail.
Students started protesting because they showed campus managers the deteriorated conditions within their housing facilities which exhibited breakable walls combined with decayed ceilings and shattered tiles. The combination of problems resulted in disarray which reached its peak last week during fatal shootings and violent battles.
Independent investigation into the Murder case and legal actions
A panel consisting of retired Justice Chris Jafta with the support of two advocates and an attorney leads an independent investigation to study the situation regarding Mbolekwa’s death. The investigative process will determine both student and university administrator responsibility regarding event management.
The Mthatha High Court faced a separate request from the Student Representative Council (SRC) to prevent student eviction from campus. The institution stated that property damage together with vehicle burnings surged following April 15 requiring evictions to halt further disturbances.
The High Court denied permission to evict the students when Judge Mbulelo Jolwana determined that last resort actions should remain in place and students could freely protest without harming institutional integrity.
