Pretoria student stabbed eight times, critical in hospital

A student was still recovering in hospital after he was stabbed eight times following SRC elections at the Tshwane University of Technology campus in Soshanguve.

The attack happened on Thursday night, while votes were being counted, said member of the provincial legislature Crezanne Bosch.

She said the student was a member of the Democratic Alliance (DA) student’s movement

“Voting stations had just closed and some students from the different parties were waiting for the votes to be counted,” she said.

She said the student was allegedly approached by a member of the Pan-Africanist Movement of Azania.

“They had an exchange of words before the member stabbed the student eight times,” she said.

“I am not sure what the full extent of the fight was about.”

Bosch said the student was injured in his neck, throat and on his side close to his lungs.

She did not want to reveal the student’s identity for safety concerns.

The student was recovering at the George Mukhari hospital, where he was still critical for now, she said.

“I have been at the hospital to see him,” she said.

Bosch said the student was not under sedation, but said that he was under strong medication.

“You can see that he is in a lot of pain,” she said.

She described the incident as “a tragedy”.“There is so much violence at this campus,” she said.

“This is not the first time something like this has happened.”

Bosch was referring to an incident in August last year, when a student was shot dead at the same campus.

Police and the university had not given comment at the time of going to press.