Sihle Lonzi Slams Court As Walter Sisulu University Employee Accused of Shooting Student Given Bail

• The 54-year-old Walter Sisulu University employee, who allegedly shot and killed a student, was granted bail
• He appeared before the Mthatha Magistrates Court on 3 June 2025 after allegedly shooting 24-year-old Sisonke Mbolekwa dead during a protest at the university
• EFF Member of Parliament Sihle Lonzi said the university must appear before Parliament to explain the events leading to the shooting

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered a range of criminal activities, including cash-in-transit heists, kidnappings, taxi violence, police investigations, police shootouts, and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.

MTHATHA, EASTERN CAPE — The Mthatha Magistrates Court granted the 54-year-old man accused of shooting and killing a Walter Sisulu University student during a protest at the Eastern Cape-based university. Economic Freedom Fighters MP Sihle Lonzi called for the university to be held accountable.

WSU shooting suspect released

According to SABC News, the man was granted R10,000 bail after he briefly appeared before the court on 3 June 2025. He was arrested after 24-year-old Sisonke Mbolekwa was shot and killed when students protested against the campus manager's alleged abuse and mismanagement. Two other students were injured.

Students protested outside the court and demanded that he be given bail, and some stormed out of the court when the suspect was granted bail. The university's Student Representative Council President, Balungile Madikizela, said that the events leading to Sisonke's death were traumatic.

Madikizela said the firearm that he used was not licensed. The family of the deceased students also wanted him to be given bail. A family representative said that Mboleko was retreating when he was shot and killed.

Lonzi slams the court

Lonzi, a member of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, slammed the court for not allowing the media to broadcast the proceedings. He said the inefficiency of cases begins with cover-ups.

He said the media must be allowed to broadcast the case. He also said that he would be writing to the Portfolio Committee's chairperson to summon the university to account for the events that led to the student's death.

What you need to know about the Walter Sisulu University

The University denied that the student who was shot and killed during the protest was a student at the Walter Sisulu University.

South Africans were appalled by the poor living conditions at the Walter Sisulu University after a video of their R38,000 accommodation went viral.

Slain WSU students remembered

In a related article, Briefly News reported that slain Walter Sisulu University student Sisonke Mbolekwa's fellow students shared fond memories of him. Mbolekwa was shot and killed during a protest at the university. The students were protesting against the campus manager's alleged mismanagement and mistreatment of the students on campus.

Mbolekwa was remembered for being a kind and caring student. He always submitted his assignments on time and did not like chaos. Students were livid after the university released a statement claiming that Mbolekwa was not a registered student.

Source: Briefly News