south africa_student deaths close two universities

Student demonstrations have halted classes at two South African universities. The off-campus rape and murders of two foreign students – a Zimbabwean and a Nigerian – sparked protest at Vaal University of Technology in the heart of the country. At the University of KwaZulu-Natal on the east coast, action against changes to student financial aid turned violent.

The two young women were shot dead in their off-campus room, with their bodies discovered last weekend. They were both enrolled for a national diploma in logistics. Students took to the streets in protest, and refused to attend lectures until the university improved security.

The killings were the latest in a string of many involving students on the campus and in its vicinity. Last year, two female students were killed at campus residences and one female student was raped. A male student was murdered just outside the campus this year. READ MORE