Police launched an urgent investigation after gunmen shot and killed a Walter Sisulu University staff member outside the Nkululekweni gate of the Mthatha campus in the Eastern Cape on Thursday, 19 June.
Police found the victim, believed to be a senior faculty member, inside a parked vehicle shortly before 6pm. A fellow staff member who passed the scene alerted authorities.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana said preliminary forensic analysis confirmed the victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds while seated in the driver’s position.
Police have not released the victim’s identity, citing respect for the family and allowing the university to make a formal announcement.
Police Prioritise Investigation
Eastern Cape provincial commissioner Major General Thandiswa Kupiso said detectives and forensic experts are actively processing the crime scene and warned against public speculation.
She said police had deployed maximum resources to pursue all leads and were working to preserve the integrity of the investigation.
Authorities urged anyone with information to come forward.
Second Campus Shooting in Three Months
Chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on higher education, Tebogo Letsie, condemned the killing and described it as a brutal and inhumane act.
“We are devastated to learn that an official of Walter Sisulu University has been murdered so callously. Violence has no place in our institutions of learning,” he said.
Letsie note that this is the second fatal shooting on the campus in three months.
He called on the university to urgently strengthen security to protect staff and students.
“The latest tragedy is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about safety on campus. Our thoughts are with the family, colleagues and students,” he added.
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