The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training welcomes the expedited forensic investigation into the killing of a Tshwane University of Technology student.

The Chairperson, Ms Connie September, said the committee sends condolences to the family of the deceased, student community, and those who witnessed the incident.

“Police should at all times practise restraint and caution at campuses when it comes to confrontation with students,” Ms September said. A student appears to have been accidentally killed at TUT, following a collapsed election for the student representative council, where police were called in.

Ms September cautioned university management to avoid calling in the police in situations until conciliation avenues had been exhausted, but also said the university needed to report back to the committee on findings of what had transpired.

“The committee will ask student representatives to also explain as well as refer the matter to Portfolio Committee on Police to assist with investigations.”