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Killing of FS students sends shock waves

───   LUCKY NKUYANE 13:04 Thu, 23 Sep 2021

Killing of FS students sends shock waves | News Article

The attack and fatal shooting of students at the Botjhabela Village near Phuthaditjhaba in Qwaqwa, in the Free State, have once again placed the safety and the state of student accommodation in the spotlight.

Four gun-wielding men, disguised in masks, allegedly on Wednesday morning accosted and shot dead two students - one from the University of the Free State (UFS) and one from the local TVET College - at their place of residence yesterday morning. The suspects allegedly shot at students after demanding money, laptops, and cellphones. 

The incident has since led to a scathing reaction from the South African Union of Students (SAUS). The SAUS national spokesperson and former Student Representative Council (SRC) president at the UFS, Asive Dlanjwa, says “the reality is that the death of these students further highlights the devastating state of student accommodation in the South African Higher Education sector, particularly off-campus or private student accommodation.
 
“In fact, the lack of adequate housing in the sector, by implication, makes the department of higher education and universities co-conspirators in senseless killings of students. On average, universities have only been able to accommodate less than 20% of students in safe and acceptable student accommodation, leaving around 80% of them with non-affordable and atrocious living conditions, exposing them to interminable criminal elements. The recent killing of Nosicelo at the University of Fort Hare could also be directly attributed to the abhorrent state of student accommodation within the broader Higher Education Sector,” Dlanjwa adds.
 
Police spokesperson, Motantsi Makhele, previously told OFM News that two students were found with fatal gunshot wounds whilst two other injured students were rushed to the Mofumahadi Manapo Regional Hospital, where they are in critical condition.
 
Makhele said it is alleged that the police were summoned to a shooting incident at about 01:00 at the Botjhabela Village and upon their arrival, they found a group of students, believed to be studying with the University of the Free State, at the Qwaqwa campus.

READ MORE: UFS responds after fatal attack on students

Meanwhile, UFS spokesperson, Lacea Loader, has labelled the attack on students as senseless. Loader said the university wants to express its sadness and shock following the deaths of its students at the Phuthaditjhaba campus in Qwaqwa, in the Free State.

READ MORE: #UFS, #TVET - Gun-wielding men kills two students, injures two others

The exact number of stolen items has not been determined yet and the names of the deceased and injured have also not yet been released.
 
Makhele said any person with information that may lead to the arrests and convictions of the suspects can contact Phuthaditjhaba Detective Service, Colonel Morena Motloung, at 082 479 3313, and Captain Boy Makubu on 082 332 3418 or Crime Stop 08600 10111, or the MySapsApp.


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