By: Kaya 959 News
A third year Human Resources student at the Walter Sisulu University was stabbed to death following an altercation over a joke.
SAPS spokesperson Captain Hazel Mqala said the Southernwood Residence students got into an altercation after the deceased joked about the suspect using muthi to clean his room.
She said the two students then started to argue and they fought.
READ: Pastor sentenced to life for rape
“Other students managed to separate them and the one student who is now deceased went back to his room. The other student also followed him. According to witnesses when the suspect was at the door of the deceased room he was already holding a knife in his hand.
“The deceased then picked up a pair of scissors to defend himself. The two continued arguing inside the room until the deceased turned his back to the suspect. It was the time that the suspect stabbed the deceased twice in the upper body and he fell to the ground,” Mqala said.
She said the suspect then took the deceased to hospital with the help of someone staying at the residence. He was then certified dead at the hospital and the suspect was treated for minor injuries.
“The crime office members went to the hospital and arrested the 29-year-old suspect. He is facing a charge of murder and will appear in the East London Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday,” Mqala said. He is a third year Engineering student.
WSU Vice Chancellor Professor Songca has described the death of the student as an unfortunate act of violence that should have never happened.
She further called for social tolerance within the university community, especially amongst students.
“As people we come from different cultures, different belief systems and different family set ups. We must be tolerant of such differences. This unfortunate incident has now alerted the University to the need to institute more programs that encourage social cohesion and fast track the implementation of the Gender Based Violence Initiative currently hosted in the VCs Office,” Songca said.
