The Nelson Mandela University (NMU) community is grappling with profound grief following the tragic and unprecedented loss of five students within a three-week period in late October and early November 2025. This series of tragedies has spurred the United Democratic Students’ Movement (Udesmo) to intensify calls for immediate institutional reform, especially concerning gender-based violence (GBV).
Call for Accountability Following Student’s Suicide
The death of 19-year-old student Sesethu Enhle Mboza on October 31 at an off-campus residence has brought the crisis of GBV on campus into sharp focus. Mboza reportedly took her own life after allegedly being raped by a fellow student, who was arrested and then released on bail, returning to the university environment.
The Udesmo Eastern Cape chairperson, Lucia Matomane, vehemently stated that Mboza’s death exposes the “ongoing crisis of GBV” and the “institutional failures” that leave survivors vulnerable. The student movement argues that no survivor should have to face their alleged perpetrator repeatedly on a campus meant to be a safe space.
🚨 Udesmo’s Recommendations for GBV Protection
In response to this tragedy, and ahead of the national 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, Udesmo is urging NMU and other higher learning institutions to take urgent and decisive action. Their core recommendations include:
Immediate Suspension: Students accused of sexual violence should be suspended pending investigation.
Strengthened Support:Survivor-centred GBV response units must be fortified.
Transparent Communication: Universities need to ensure clear communication with students regarding safety protocols and disciplinary processes.
Udesmo emphasized that mere awareness is insufficient, stating that “awareness without accountability achieves nothing.”
NMU’s Statement on Multiple Tragedies
While responding to the outcry, NMU expressed deep sorrow over the loss of not just Mboza, but a total of five students:
Sesethu Enhle Mboza: Died by suicide on October 31.
Lihle Shenxane (Higher Certificate Information Technology) and Aphile Jozana (Higher Certificate Business Studies): Both died on the same afternoon as Mboza. Shenxane drowned, and Jozana died after being hospitalized following a swimming incident at Victoria Bay in George.
Minenhle Hlongwane (Second-Year BA Law): Died two weeks prior after being stabbed during a robbery at an off-campus residence in Summerstrand, Gqeberha.
Sikhunjulwe Nkewana (Third-Year Diploma in Logistics): Was found unresponsive in his room in Central, Gqeberha.
The university released a statement lamenting the “immeasurable void” left by these young lives, which were “filled with promise, potential and purpose.”Vice-Chancellor Prof Sibongile Muthwaconfirmed that the Emthonjeni Student Counselling Services is actively providing psychosocial support to students and staff affected by these devastating losses.
This period of mourning and calls for justice highlights the critical need for improved student safety and robust GBV support mechanisms across South African campuses.
