Cassper calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in Wits shooting

Rapper Cassper Nyovest has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene after clashes between protesting students and police in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, on Wednesday turned fatal.

Shocking scenes played out as Wits students attempted to stage a protest against the financial exclusion of some students with historical debt. 

A man died after he appeared to have been struck by rubber bullets as he exited a clinic in the area.

Netcare 911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst said the man — identified on Thursday by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) as Mthokozisi Ntumba, a civilian — was struck twice as he left the building and died at the scene.

Commenting on the death, Cassper expressed his sadness and added that the situation needed intervention from the president.

“Yoh! This is sad. This man must be arrested and an example needs to be made. It can't be business as usual. What was the reason for this innocent man to be killed so brutally?” Cassper asked, tagging Ramaphosa's official Twitter account.

Cassper also slammed claims that his decision to comment on the protest was sparked by his rival AKA doing so.

“Some of yall are dumb as f**k. An innocent black man was killed by the police while students were fighting for their future and you don't want me to voice my opinion because your favourite tweeted about it before me? You think this is a competition? You're an idiot!” Cassper said.

The rapper has been in several debates previously about how much he believes the government ought to do better by the youth. He said he would be “damned” if he shared his comments on the protests and “damned” if he didn't.

Sunday Times reported that students took to the streets under the banner #asinamali, protesting against the financial exclusion of some students and for first-years who do not know how their tuition will be financed.

Two Wits journalism students were also shot and injured.