• A student protest at Walter Sisulu University turned deadly when the residence manager allegedly opened fire, killing one and injuring others.

• Students say they have long complained about safety and security but their voices are being ignored.

One student is dead and others injured after the residence manager at Walter Sisulu University’s Nelson Mandela Drive campus in Mthatha opened fire during a student protest.

The shooting happened early on Tuesday morning. Police and university security are trying to calm down angry students who have threatened to block the N2.

Students say they stormed into the residence manager’s house around 7am after months of raising complaints that were ignored.

“One of the issues is that they deploy male security guards in female residences, who think they can knock on the rooms and enter as and when they feel like it,” said a student leader.

She said a male security guard was once suspended for entering a female room, but he later returned to the same residence.

“They never listen to us and our demands,” she said.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana said the students gathered on Monday night to plan action over the poor state of their residence. By Tuesday morning, they confronted the residence manager at his home on campus.

“It is alleged that the residence manager shot two male students. One died on the scene and the other was taken to hospital,” said Gantana.

She confirmed that students then set the residence manager’s car on fire and attacked his wife, who was hit on the head with a hard object.

The family had to be rescued by Mthatha Public Order Policing.

Police are struggling to get more information from witnesses as students are preventing them from reaching the crime scene.

“No arrests have been made yet,” said Gantana.

University spokesperson Yonela Tukwayo said the situation is tense.

“Our security personnel are trying to get confirmation of this incident. I will issue a statement as soon as I get details,” she said.

Pictured above: The residence manager’s car was set alight by students after he shot and killed one and injured an unconfirmed number of others.

Image source: Facebook