Security on the mind at private service for murdered Stellenbosch student

A petition calling for decisive action against street crime in the town has been signed by 20,000 people

A private memorial service for slain Stellenbosch University student Jesse Mitchell was held on Friday afternoon at Rhenish Girls’ High School about 2km from where the first-year student was robbed and stabbed.

The mood was sombre as mourners and friends, wearing black T-shirts bearing Mitchell’s face, filed into the hall. The family asked for privacy. 

Mitchell’s brother Josh was overcome with grief when he spoke to TimesLIVE before the service. He questioned the safety of students in the university town.

“It’s just sad, really. Honestly, the whole safety thing in Stellenbosch is a bit of a joke. I’m not going to say much more than that,” he said. 

A plaque has been affixed to a tree on Borcherd Road where the BSc student riding his bicycle was killed. Fresh flowers had just been laid when TimesLIVE visited the site next to Stellenbosch Hospice. A camera at the hospice is trained on the spot where Mitchell took his last breath.

First-year student Uys Keyser, who lives about 20m from the scene, said he and Mitchell attended one of their modules together.

“I didn’t know him personally, but he was in our PSO [class],” said Keyser.

“This street is usually quiet, nothing like this ever happened, like someone losing their life, it came as a real shock because I live about 20 metres from the place where this happened. It’s a shock for the entire community of Stellenbosch.” 

A petition calling for “decisive action” to deal with “rising insecurity” around the university has been signed by close to 20,000 residents and students.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said Rudolf Hufke, 19, who was arrested after the murder, abandoned a bid for bail on Monday when he appeared in the Stellenbosch magistrate’s court on a charge of murder. The state has added a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances.

Stellenbosch University spokesperson Martin Viljoen told TimesLIVE on Thursday that a highly trained security team patrolled the grounds, including more than 60 in-house security staff and 200 specialist security contact staff on the university campuses.

“They are supported by a 24/7 operational centre that handles all emergency calls, monitors alarm activations and CCTV systems,” said Viljoen.

“Stellenbosch University is an open campus, which is closely integrated with the Stellenbosch central business district and surrounding areas. For this reason, the university has established a strong partnership with local law enforcement and security agencies to ensure comprehensive coverage and safety throughout the greater Stellenbosch area.”

Stellenbosch community policing forum (CPF) chairperson André Pelsen said “knife culture” had become a growing concern. “People walking around with knives confronting and wanting to rob others if they do not comply. They stab them, it is a terrible thing. We are very concerned about people carrying concealed weapons confronting particularly students, but also older people and tourists.”

A note left at the spot where Mitchell was killed reads: “To the family of Jesse Mitchell. Wherever a beautiful soul has been ... there is a trail of beautiful memories. Our deepest sympathy. Ras family.”

TimesLIVE