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For Botho Molosankwe 
2h ago
Johannesburg – The Independent Police Investigations Directorate identified the man shot to death during clashes between police and students protesting in Braamfontein on Wednesday morning as Mthokozisi Ntumba.
Ipid described Ntumba, 35, as a “civilian, husband, father of a small child.”
Ntumba was not part of the student protest and had just left the doctor’s office when the police officer reportedly shot him.
Ipid said late Wednesday night that his investigation team was “processing voluminous evidence gathered at the crime scene during his preliminary investigation.”
“During the preliminary investigation, the Directorate has managed to collect numerous statements from witnesses, confiscate firearms and they will be taken for ballistic analysis, the autopsy to determine the real cause of death will be carried out at the end of this week, the link began family and research. keep going “.
Gauteng police confirmed that five students were arrested.
“About five suspects were arrested and charged with public violence, but the police continue to monitor the situation,” said Kay Makhubela, a Gauteng police spokesman.
Two student journalists, Nondumiso Lehutso and Aphelele Buqwane, who work for Vow FM (Voice of Wits FM) and Wits Vuvuzela, a student newspaper, were shot with rubber bullets while reporting on the protests.
The vice-rector for ingenuity, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, told SAFM that he was “devastated” by the man’s death.
Vilakazi also claimed that they, like Wits, were not the ones who called the police.
He said that the institution has its own security on campus and that as soon as the protests go outside, then the public order police get involved, but that they were not the ones who called them.
Shirona Patel, a spokeswoman for Wits, said Tuesday that protesting students were demanding free education and being allowed to register despite being in debt to the institution.
He said the university had made some grants to help students by making funds available for those who could not afford tuition, registration and accommodation.
“Wits has made a Wits Hardship Fund worth R10 million available to help students who are experiencing financial difficulties and have historical debts (up to R120,000). They can register and get accommodation as long as they meet the criteria.
“Wits also established a Wits Covid-19 Relief Fund worth R10 million to help students whose families have been negatively affected by the pandemic.
“About 27,000 of the 37,500 students at the University receive some type of financial aid, scholarship or scholarship,” he said.
Vilakazi said there have been a number of meetings since January, some with the dean and also with senior executives on funding issues.
He said that in the last meeting they had with the Student Representative Council they made it clear that they could not meet all the demands of an increase in the base of the debt ceiling that would jeopardize the sustainability of the university.
That, he said, is due to the fact that they have a debt limit of one billion rand.
“If that debt skyrockets, then we could have what we call a fiscal chasm and it would be irresponsible for any manager to bequeath a bankrupt institution to the next successor,” he said.
MESS
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