'Shocking' naked discipline at Mthatha campus

Two students accused of stealing a cellphone were allegedly ordered to strip and parade naked in front of their peers by an employee at Walter Sisulu University in the Eastern Cape.

Now Sisanda Mfundisi, a residence officer at Zamukulungisa Heights - one of Mthatha's two campus sites for the university - has been suspended from duty at the hostel pending an investigation.

The incident has left the top brass at the institution "shocked" and "embarrassed".

Before publicly humiliating Sikhumbuzo Butshinga and his roommate, Vuyisani Ngambhe, Mfundisi is also alleged to have asked the student whose cellphone went missing to assault the two with a snooker cue, before assaulting them himself.

Butshinga and Ngambhe were so traumatised by the incident, which was filmed by fellow students on their cellphones, that they are now receiving counselling.

They could not be reached for comment.

In a statement to the campus director, Noluvuyo Nqebelele, they said they were questioned by Mfundisi at about 10pm on August 18.

"We did not know anything about it. Then he said we must be assaulted, starting with the owner of the cellphone.

"After that, he slapped us. He had a pool stick. Then he instructed us to undress and took us outside and called other students to come outside and see us. The others took pictures of us with cellphones," they said.

The students said they had found a cellphone in the common room. They said they showed it to three other roommates and kept it in their locker. Upon hearing that someone had been looking for it, they handed it over to the owner.

Nqebelele informed the vice-chancellor, Professor Marcus Balintulo, in writing that Mfundisi had come to her office to report that the two students had stolen a cellphone.

In her letter, she says: "He (Mfundisi) then decided to punish them by asking them to go outside and take off all their clothes in front of other students."

She said she informed the director of student affairs at campus, Zoleka Dotwana, of the incident before arranging "a session" with the two students.

"The students were still crying, hence I felt I must refer them for counselling services. One of the students has reported this to his parents. I am arranging a visit to the affected families with a counsellor from the university," she told Balintulo.

Balintulo confirmed that Mfundisi had been suspended immediately after the incident had been brought to the university's attention and that disciplinary action against him was under way.

"We were very embarrassed about that. It's shocking. In fact, it's foreign to the culture that we are building here.

"The worst part was that the particular officer didn't seem to see anything wrong with it - which is even more astounding," he said.

Balintulo could not say what charges Mfundisi would face.

A student, who said that almost all hostel students witnessed the incident, described it as "shocking" and "barbaric".

"We didn't expect this from the residence officer."

Mfundisi declined to comment.