“I am burying my child this Saturday, and I don’t even have money. Church people are coming, and I'm struggling. I don’t have money for scones, drinks, and tea. The funeral policy will not pay for suicide because I struggled to pay my premiums… There’s high negligence in this case, and it is disturbing my spirit,” said Sixolile Mboza, mother of Nelson Mandela University student Sesethu Enhle Mboza, who has to find means to bury her child.
Daily Maverick spoke to the mother of Mboza, a second-year Bachelor of Arts student from Mthatha, who allegedly took her own life at her off-campus residence on Friday, 31 October, after she was allegedly raped on 26 September. Detailing the events that led to Mboza’s death, the mother shared that her daughter called her after she was allegedly raped. She advised her to rush to the hospital; however, she was sent back home because she had to open a case. After opening a case, the perpetrator was arrested on the 28th of September but released on bail on 10 October.
“She called me saying that the perpetrator is out of jail, and she saw him in a mall. My daughter froze and had a panic attack. That's when I told her to come home. I wrote an email to the school, and she also wrote; I requested that she write her exams online, but they said they do not do that,” said Mboza.
She added that she went to the school after her daughter had already died. “I was thankful to social media because this was trending. They (NMU) did not follow due procedure because I assumed the moment I wrote them an email, they would have contacted a relevant party to help, but my daughter kept seeing the perpetrator at school,” said Mboza.
The mother said that NMU told her they would help with a sum of R37 000; so far, she has received R25 000, and an amount of R12 000 is said to be coming soon.
Responding to Daily Maverick’s question on how the university is helping the family of Mboza with funeral arrangements, NMU spokesperson Zandile Ngwendu said, “Institutional policy on the management of loss of student life guides the provision of support to bereaved families. The university is in direct contact with the family in that regard,” adding that, “The university has instituted a fact-finding inquiry into the circumstances leading up to and surrounding Ms Mboza’s passing,” said Ngwendu.
Ngwendu said that counselling and other psychosocial support services are available to students on an ongoing basis, with emergency trauma counselling and necessary psychosocial support availed particularly to those affected when tragic incidents occur.
Speaking on the responsibility to ensure student safety in off-campus residences, Ngwendu said that the university’s policy for the accreditation and provision of off-campus student accommodation includes the provision of efficient security systems at privately owned off-campus residences, among the minimum requirements for those that the institution accredits.
Mboza is one of six students who have died at NMU in the past weeks. The university lost two students, Lihle Shenxane and Aphile Jozana, who went swimming at Victoria Bay, with Shenxane drowning and Jozana later succumbing to injuries at the hospital. The wave of fatalities continued with the violent death of Minenhle Hlongwane, who was fatally stabbed during a robbery at a private off-campus residence. Another student, Sikhunjulwe Nkewana, was found deceased in his room.
Daily Maverick spoke to Student Representative Council (SRC) president, Lathitha Mbuzwana, who said that the university has become a burial ground for students. “It is disheartening to note that an institution like NMU has now turned into a burial site or a mortuary. It is also sad that parents send their children here to graduate and change the circumstances of their homes, but they return home in coffins,” said Mbuzwana.
He shared that in Gqeberha, students are being targeted due to electronic devices. “We have tried to speak to local authorities and the school to fight crime because most of our students reside off-campus… In some cases, you find in the residences that there are no CCTV cameras or they do not work; it was the same with the student (Hlongwane) stabbed to death; there was no footage,” said Mbuzwana.
Hlongwane died at her residence in 156 Admirality Way, Summerstrand, an NSFAS-accredited residence, when a male suspect entered and stabbed her, stealing electronic devices. South African Service Police Detective Sergeant Rudwaan Baatijes told Daily Maverick that no suspect has been arrested at this stage. “There was no working cameras,” said Baatjies. Ngwendu also confirmed that the residence is NSFAS-accredited.
The NMU university is faced with multiple cases. An SRC member from the Democratic Alliance Students Organisation in South Africa (DASO) saw his membership being terminated after allegations of rape against a fellow student. The alleged perpetrator’s name, known by Daily Maverick, is said to have raped a student at an off-campus residence. On Tuesday, 11 November, 205 students protested regarding the issues of sexual harassment. In a DASO statement issued on 11 November 2025, it was confirmed that “the individual involved has had their DASO membership terminated with immediate effect,” read the statement.
SRC president Mbuzwana also confirmed the matter of the SRC member being allegedly involved in rape.
Across South African universities, students have been grappling with issues of gender-based violence, assault cases, and trauma. On 29 August, a first-year Bachelor of Arts in Language Practice student from the University of Venda tragically lost her life after being stabbed multiple times by the perpetrator, who is alleged to be her boyfriend, a second-year Bachelor of Environmental Sciences student.
In October 2025, a Cape Peninsula University of Technology student was allegedly raped at the Catsville residence by a fellow student who was later granted bail of R5000, and his case was postponed until 26 February 2026.
Earlier this year, Daily Maverick reported that a student from the University of Walter Sisulu, Sisonke Mbolekwa, was shot and killed by a residence manager, Manelisi Mampane, who was later given bail of R10 000.
Read more: Mthatha campus erupts as students rally against bail for accused in deadly protest shooting.
A Wits SRC member is alleged to rape a case.
Meanwhile, students from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) have been protesting after an SRC member was alleged to have committed rape against a fellow student.
On Tuesday, 11 November, the university’s spokesperson, Shirona Patel, confirmed to Daily Maverick that “the alleged perpetrator has been suspended and is not allowed to access the university’s precincts whilst the matter is being investigated. I can confirm that the alleged perpetrator is a member of the incoming SRC,” said Patel.
She added that the Gender Equity Office at the university is managing the complaint and will provide full support to the victim in line with our protocols.
SRC president, Gilbert Nchabeleng, also confirmed to Daily Maverick that they have suspended the student from the SRC. “We placed him under immediate suspension. Although we might not have all the institutional powers to then act on behalf of the university, we went to them to be honest and treated this matter with the agency it deserves, simply because it involves the most sensitive issues,” said Nchabeleng.
Gender Equality in University Policies
Daily Maverick spoke to the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) chairperson, Advocate Nthabiseng Sepanya-Mogale, who, with the commission, has conducted an investigation into how universities are handling and revealed that higher learning institutions lack the skills to respond to sexual harassment cases of students.
Read more: Sexual harassment cases at SA universities often fall through cracks, warns gender equality body
“We have seen the attitude of universities where lecturers get away with a lot, and it is the student who gets told to move from that situation. When lecturers are involved, it's very difficult to suspend them; their rights are usually overemphasised over the rights of their victims. So you have students who actually go and write exams with the invigilator being this person who has actually done this to them,” said Mogale.
She added that “the other thing that we find is that universities lack the necessary measures to monitor predators because sometimes they jump from institution to institution, and nobody ever says, ‘Why did you leave that institution?’ Or there is no register where universities are supposed to, as a collective, say we are not going to tolerate predators, and therefore have a register that is available to all the universities,” said Mogale.
Meanwhile, Project Manager at the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), Krystle Kemp, shared that they receive numerous calls from students who face difficult issues like suicidal thoughts and academic stress. “Last year, between January and December, we received over 55,000 calls from tertiary students in need. Depression was the most common reason for calls at 16%. Anxiety was next at 15%. Then, academic stress was also 15%. Family issues featured at 13%. Suicide also featured at 13%. So this doesn't necessarily mean that the student is suicidal. It can also mean that they're facing suicidal ideation,” said Kemp.
Daily Maverick sent questions to NSFAS regarding 156 Admirality Way, Summerstrand, an NSFAS-accredited residence. The article will be updated once the response comes. DM
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