THE second-year University of Joburg (UJ) student Nkosingiphile Nxumalo (18), who was shot and killed in Braamfontein on Thursday, 29 February, is the son of a single mum who is a domestic worker.
This emerged on Monday, 4 March, when Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande, the university Vice Chancellor Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi, and senior executive director University Relations, Student Affairs, Dr Nolitha Vukuza visited the family at a guesthouse in Auckland Park.
Nkosingiphile and another student were travelling in a bus and were caught in the crossfire when two taxi bosses in a black BMW were killed in broad daylight.
Vukuza, who spoke on behalf of the family, said Nkosingiphile was one of the six siblings who came from Newcastle in KZN.
“He was an 18-year-old young man doing BCom Accounting. He came to us in this way because we’ve got 50 000 students, and all of a sudden, we have Mr Nxumalo as a symbol of what's possible in life, which just came into a complete stop,” she said.
Vukuza said the seven members of the family came from KZN, including neighbours.
“What happened to him is what is wrong about this society,” she said.
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Nkosingiphile also had a twin sibling, and they were the last born.
Vukuza said the family will identify the body in the mortuary on Monday, 4 March.
“The family will go to the mortuary to identify the body. Those who will go home will go, and those who can’t will wait until the body is released,” she said.
After visiting the other injured student, Dimpho Mosia (18) at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, where he was admitted, Nzimande said he was in good spirits.
“He's recovering well, which is good news. We gave him a message to be strong. The fact that he's alive is something he must hang on to and try rebuilding his life. It's a traumatic experience that he went through,” he said.
Dimpho is from Hebron in Tshwane and was studying in the faculty of humanities when he was shot in the face.
Professor Mpedi said they would make sure he didn’t fall behind in his academic progress.
Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital CEO Gladys Bogoshi said Dimpho was attended to by eye doctors.
The families were too distraught to talk to Daily Sun.
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