Vice-chancellor denied chance to speak at memorial

THE family of Durban University of Technology (DUT) student Mlungisi Madonsela, who was shot dead during the student protests last week, still have many questions about how he died.

This arose during Madonsela’s memorial service yesterday at the university’s Ritson Hall, which was filled with family and friends.

Madonsela’s uncle Xolani Ncanana said the family was still traumatised by the shooting and were trying to not lose themselves from the grief.

“We do not know what happened on the day as there are so many stories,” he said.

Tertiary institutions were rocked by protests last week with various campuses having to close. Students were demanding the speeding up of the registration process and calling for students not to be financially excluded.

Ncanana said when they heard the news of Madonsela’s death they were shocked and confused.

He struggled to contain his emotions while speaking about his nephew. He said Madonsela was a humble person who cared about the well-being of others and wanted to improve the living conditions of his family and those of the Jozini community.

He said a post-mortem had been conducted and three bullets were removed from his body.

The family plan to hold his funeral tomorrow in Jozini.

Ncanana was one of several speakers at the memorial service. Some of the listed speakers included the vice-chancellor of the university, Professor Thandwa Mthembu, and EFF KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Vusi Khoza. However some speakers never got the chance as they were deliberately drowned out by singing from the students. Mthembu was escorted out when it became apparent that he was not going to speak.

Khoza then told the crowd they would not have allowed a “murderer” to speak.

DUT Student Representative Council president Sesiyanda Godlimpi demanded that Madonsela’s killers be arrested and that this should be the last time a student is killed at the institution.

He said that DUT’s management should listen to the demands of the students. Godlimpi said the institution also had the responsibility to protect students from harm and they would keep fighting until their demands were met.

African News Agency (ANA) | DOCTOR NGCOBO DUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Thandwa Mthembu was not given an opportunity to speak yesterday at DUT student Mlungisi Madonsela’s memorial service. Mthembu was the last speaker at the event but when he got on to the stage, students surged towards him and started singing in protest. He eventually left the podium and the hall.