‘We heard a scream’: final minutes before CPUT student was stabbed

There was a scream. Sinoxolo Myalo’s door opened, then she collapsed.

Within minutes of being taken outside by concerned friends, the 26-year-old third-year tourism management student at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) was allegedly stabbed up to 20 times by her husband, a student at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).

The graphic incident, in broad daylight outside private university accommodation in Belhar on Saturday, was filmed and shared on social media.

The accused, 30, appeared in the Bellville magistrate’s court on Monday on a charge of attempted murder.

A friend of the young woman said her husband had come to look for her at the residence, claiming her mother was trying to make contact as her cellphone was on voicemail. 

“I went to the shop to buy cooldrink and bread while he waited for her, and when I returned, he asked me if I had found her. Eventually when Sinoxolo came back they went into her room. I was sitting outside the residence with my friends and we heard a scream.

“When I went to knock on her [locked] door to check on her, she said she was fine, but shortly after that I saw her open the door and she fell [unconscious] in front of me.”

Sinoxolo was carried outside and moments later was allegedly stabbed in front of horrified students.

Friends tried to put pressure on the wounds to prevent her from bleeding out but were allegedly threatened by the attacker.

The incident happened a day after UWC students protested against GBV within their institution. 

EFF student command (EFFSC) member Winnie Mkoko explained that, after hearing about the incident, went to visit Sinoxolo in hospital. 

“She was transferred from Karl Bremmer to Tygerberg Hospital, where she went for surgery after she had been stabbed 20 times,” said Mkoko.

“Her family was gutted when they heard the news and got on a bus from the Eastern Cape to Cape Town to see her. Thankfully she is recovering and responsive.” 

She attended the court appearance on Monday and said the accused had stitches on the back of his head after students who witnessed events attacked and beat him before police arrived. 

CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley said the institution had invested in the safety of its campuses. 

“CPUT has progressively upped all security across campuses over the years with the installation of security cameras and closing campuses with fencing.

“CPUT was the first university in SA to institutionalise its position on GBV via its dedicated sexual and gender-based violence committee, this committee is chaired by the vice-chancellor and ensures accountability, co-ordination and leadership of this critical issue,” said Kansley. 

UWC spokesperson Gasant Abarder said the suspect had been suspended from campus and his private residence accommodation. 

“The University of the Western Cape has pronounced its zero tolerance for gender-based violence and communicated its condemnation of any acts of gender-based violence and femicide ...

“The university condemns any act of gender-based violence in our society. We confirm our stance that perpetrators of such gender-based violence have no place at our campuses,” he added.

Police spokesperson Capt FC van Wyk said Belhar police had registered an attempted murder. “Circumstances surrounding this stabbing incident are under investigation. A 30-year-old male suspect was arrested and is under police guard in hospital. The injured victim was transported to a nearby medical facility for treatment. The investigation continues.”

Higher education minister Blade Nzimande welcomed the arrest and said the department would launch an initiative to deal with GBV at institutions. The Transforming MENtalities Initiative, a multi-stakeholder partnership would focus on mobilising men in the sector to “champion a world free of gender biases, stereotypes, violence and discrimination”. 

He urged tertiary institutions to work effectively to implement programmes towards addressing challenges of sexual violence and GBV within post-school education and training (PSET) systems. 

ANC Women’s League spokesperson Unathi Ngcuka said they would meet the South African Student Congress (Sasco) and CPUT management to work on a way forward to support the family and security measures within student accommodation. 

“It upsets us that the students responded to the matter quicker than the security. We want to know who will take accountability for allowing this incident to happen where the suspect came into the private accommodation with a knife,” said Ngcuka. 

The DA said the incident was “a stark reminder of the urgent need for heightened security measures on campuses, residences and student accommodation across South Africa.

“Gender-based violence remains a scourge in our society, and our educational spaces should be sanctuaries, free from violence and harm.” 

Meanwhile, the University of Cape Town has launched an app designed to track and counter sexual misconduct on its campuses. 

Kwanele CEO Leonara Tima said the app would allow victims of GBV to report any incident. 

“The platform is not exclusive to women, offering a means for anyone to report incidents without bias. Obtaining consent for data use is another critical element of Kwanele’s approach. Users will have control over their information, sharing it only if they choose to,” said Tima. 

This story has been updated to remove the name of the accused because a rape charge has also been brought against him. By law, a rape suspect can only be named once he has pleaded.