UJ student killed in Braam shooting identified as David Nkosingiphile Nxumalo

Shooting linked to taxi violence, says higher education minister Blade Nzimande

04 March 2024 - 14:57
By Kgaugelo Masweneng
Three people were killed in a shooting that took place in Braamfontein last week, one of them a student from the University of Johannesburg.
Image: ANTONIO MUCHAVE Three people were killed in a shooting that took place in Braamfontein last week, one of them a student from the University of Johannesburg.

The University of Johannesburg student who was killed in a drive-by shooting has been identified as David Nkosingiphile Nxumalo, from Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal.

This was revealed by minister of higher education Blade Nzimande during a media briefing on Monday.

Nzimande said he had met with Nxumalo's family. 

“It’s a sad development to lose an 18-year-old second-year BCom accounting student whose mother is a domestic worker. This is an NSFAS beneficiary. They would have changed the circumstances of their family,” he said.

“I can identify with this as a parent who has sent their children to university. You want to fetch them in their gowns and not a coffin.

“The violence in society is also affecting the universities. This shows as a society we have a challenge and the government needs to intensify the fight against crime.

“We understand this is a result of taxi-linked violence. It’s a strange occurrence that teaches us that life can be so unpredictable.”

It was revealed that the deceased is from a family of six. He was the youngest of his siblings.

“There are three siblings who are here with the rest of the family,” Nzimande said.

Nxumalo was one of three people who were shot. He had been in a bus carrying students back to their residences when he was hit by a stray bullet. Another pupil who was aboard the bus suffered injuries. 

The other two people who were killed were occupants in a BMW parked at the side of the road. It's believed they were the targets of the shooting.

The student who was injured in the drive-by shooting, which took place on the corner of Bertha and Jorissen streets on Thursday, is still in hospital.

Nzimande said they are engaging higher education institutions to discuss safety for students and staff.

The distance from campus and accommodation is a matter of concern, he said.

“The fact that we are forced to use private accommodation is not an ideal situation. When I started as minister, my push was that we must build only university and college accommodation. We are way behind.”

Nzimande expressed condolences to the family and the higher education community.

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