By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
A Blue Bulls amateur rugby player Ngcebo Thusi appeared in the Pretoria magistrate’s court on Monday accused of the murder of a 21-year-old woman.
Thusi, 23, is accused of the murder of Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) student, Ntokozo Mayenzi Xaba.
Xaba, a third-year student who was studying towards a National Diploma in Integrated Communication at TUT, was found with multiple stab wounds at her off-campus residence in Pretoria Gardens, after she was last seen with her ex-boyfriend the night before.
Standing in the dock, wearing a grey hoodie and jeans, Thusi, with arms folded, looked ahead as the packed gallery did not take their eyes off him.
With some members in the gallery quietly jeering, the State asked for the matter to be postponed in order to obtain Thusi’s criminal profile and his fixed address for purposes of bail.
After the matter was postponed, around 80 TUT students started singing and chanting.
Thusi has been charged with defeating the ends of justice and murder after he allegedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend, Xaba, at a TUT residence on Wednesday night.
According to police, the two were reportedly drinking with friends on the night before the murder. The friends allegedly left them, and Xaba’s body was found with stab wounds to the neck the following day.
Ekhaya Junction Management, which manages the residence where the murder allegedly took place, said in a statement it was made aware on Thursday morning that Xaba’s friends were unable to get hold of her on her cellphone.
Paramedics rushed to the scene, where they found Xaba unresponsive in her room. She was declared dead at the scene, the statement read.
Thusi, who is studying towards a chemical engineering degree, was a promising scrumhalf and played for the university’s first team.
However Vodacom Bulls communications manager Lunga Kupiso said that the accused was not contracted to the Bulls.
“He never had a contract. He was never offered or been promised a contract.”
“He played under the Blue Bulls Rugby Union (BBRU) country district umbrella, which is an opportunity to be scouted into the professional ranks.”
Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, has strongly condemned the incident and passed his condolences to the Xaba family, friends and the entire Tshwane University of Technology corp.
Nzimande called on all institutions of higher learning, together with Higher Health, to continue working collectively to stem GBV.
“This includes ensuring the provision of safe workplaces, learning spaces and residences for all staff and students in our institutions,” Nzimande said on Monday.
Nzimande said Higher Health must also ensure that all institutions work collaboratively with the established multi-sectoral PSET [post-school education and training] Gender-Based Violence Technical Task Team.
Transforming MENtalities
As part of dealing with GBV in the country’s institutions, Nzimande said he will launch the “Transforming MENtalities Initiative,” which is a multi-stakeholder partnership within the PSET sector, with a particular focus on mobilising men to be part of championing a world free of gender biases, stereotypes, violence and discrimination.
The Minister said he will soon release the Ministerial Task Team (MTT) report on sexual harassment and GBV in the university sector.
Gender Commission seeks meeting with TUT management
Meanwhile, the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) said it will reach out to the leadership of TUT following the brutal killing of Xaba.
CGE CEO, Phelisa Nkomo, said the Commission has in the past three years conducted investigations to assess gender transformation and GBV at public universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges to ascertain the safety of women on campuses and residences.
Nkomo said more than 15 Vice-Chancellors appeared before the commission to help the commission understand gender related problems at their institutions.
“One of the numerous recommendations we made was for the Department of Higher Education and Training to institute policies and procedures to deal with the scourge of gender-based violence at institutions of higher learning.
“We urge the department to speedily ensure the implementation of our recommendations in this area.
“We implore the criminal justice system to speedily process all GBV related cases, deny perpetrators bail and ensure a high number of convictions,” Nkomo said.