KwaZulu-Natal Acting Premier Sihle Zikalala has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family of a student who passed away during protests at the Durban University of Technology (DUT).
The student was shot dead on Tuesday during an altercation with security guards at Steve Biko campus in Durban.
“The passing on of a young person with a promising future is always a very difficult time for the family. The KZN government joins the family in mourning, with a deep sense of sadness, the passing of a promising future leader,” Zikalala said.
Zikalala said that judging by the accounts given by fellow students and ordinary members of society on social media and other platforms, “it is clear that the whole province has been shaken by this tragedy”.
He called upon the people of KwaZulu-Natal to pray and support the family, students and management of institutions of higher learning during this period.
The KwaZulu-Natal government has supported the planned intervention by a Special Task Team in the ongoing disturbances at several tertiary institutions in the province.
Before the student’s killing, Zikalala had announced on Monday that a task team, which includes MECs, will meet with student leadership, vice chancellors and rectors in order to find a long-lasting solution.
“The executive council agreed [on Tuesday] that this meeting should go ahead this Friday, 8 February in Durban,” Zikalala said.
The provincial government has appealed to students and the academic community to approach planned negotiations with dignity “because this is a period for mourning for the family”. – SAnews.gov.za
