Johannesburg - The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday condemned the loss of lives at different institutions of higher learning in the province following a bloody weekend at three universities.
This follows the stabbing to death of a student from the University of Zululand (UniZulu); and another student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), as well as a shooting of a Durban University of Technology (DUT) student, over the past weekend.
Nhlaka Sazi Ngubo, a 20-year-old first-year education student at UniZulu was stabbed to death and apparently had his throat slit with a kitchen knife, allegedly by his roommate following an argument allegedly over cold water in their room at KwaDlangezwa campus on Sunday afternoon.
Nqobani Dlomo, an ANC Youth League member, was stabbed multiple times in a room at a residence in the early hours of Saturday morning allegedly by another student in the Oval Residence, Westville Campus of UKZN. Dlomo was also on the Student Representative Council's election list to be held at the end of the month.
Sikhumbuzo Lushaba, a DUT student, was shot dead near a students' residence in Albert Park on Friday. Lushaba was an active member of the ANCYL at the university.
Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu, ANC provincial spokesperson said they want the recently launched provincial council on social cohesion and moral regeneration to give special attention to this violent behaviour at institutions of higher learning.
"The ANC is deeply concerned about the sudden rise of violence in our tertiary institutions. It goes without saying that our educational institutions must be places of intellectual learning and not of violence and murders," Simelane-Zulu said.
"We further call on all our structures in all campuses to engage on matters of safety and security and take active steps to make our campuses safer."
Simelane-Zulu said that the regional officials of Musa Dladla were currently engaging with relevant authorities to get details about the stabbing at the University of Zululand that will inform their interventions at that institution.
It was reported elsewhere that the UniZulu student was a member of the Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command (EFFSC).