Last weekend Tshwane University of Technology’s (TUT) student Lesedi Benjamin Phehla was laid to rest in his homestead of Mmametlhake, a village in Mpumalanga. Phehla passed away on October 20 due to critical injuries after being hit by a car during Fees Must Fall protests.
Last week two memorial services were held to honour the memory of Phehla as a student leader and activist. On Wednesday, October 26, the South African Students Congress (Sasco) held a memorial service at TUT’s Soshanguve campus. Buthanan Ngwane, Sasco’s provincial secretary, spoke at the memorial service. Ngwane said Sasco was saddened by the loss of Phehla but that his death would not be in vain and that the struggle will continue.
Taken from SASCO Gauteng’s Facebook page
Taken from SASCO Gauteng’s Facebook page
TUT’s memorial for Phehla took place on Thursday, October 27 at the Soshanguve campus. Vice-chancellor Lourens van Staden during his eulogy to Phehla announced that there will be a scholarship in his honour. Prof van Staden said, “I am pleased to announce that the university management has resolved that the scholarship will be issued to an academically deserving and financially needy student at the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) starting from 2017.”
Taken by Kgothatso Mogale from EWN
Student News Grid followed up with the police to find out if there have been any developments in the culpable homicide case that was opened after Phehla passed away. Student News Grid received a response from SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Sally de Beer on Tuesday, November 1. She explained that “A case of reckless and/or negligent driving was opened when the collision occurred but was changed to culpable homicide once one of the injured parties passed away. This is standard practice.”
De Beer also confirmed that the driver had not been arrested. She said, “An arrest will take place or a summons served for an appearance in court should the prosecuting authority decide, on perusal of the completed case docket, that a prosecution should ensue. This too, is normal practice.” De Beer further confirmed that “A case of malicious damage to property is being investigated in connection with damage caused to the property of the driver of the vehicle and is still under investigation.”
Student News Grid has also spoken to some eyewitnesses after initial reports seemed to contradict eyewitness accounts. The police are yet to confirm what actually happened but according to initial reports released by media the driver lost control. From the eyewitnesses’ accounts, the driver did not lose control.
Thapelo Sicelo Mhlongo, who saw the accident take place, said that he does not know exactly what happened. Mhlongo explained that Phehla was passing the street when the car “hit Benjamin after it has gained momentum.” He went on to say “the driver never lost control, he did that intentionally because he hit a lot of the students and then he was now running away and he pressed that accelerator intentionally, it wasn’t a mistake.”
Nqobile Mokoena, another eyewitness, explained to Student News Grid that “A man driving a white Toyota car refused to stop when the students who were controlling traffic [told] him to stop.” Mokoena went on to say that “he hit 6 students and Benjamin Phehla was the one who was badly injured and fell from the back and the ambulance took him to hospital where he lost his life.”
Benjamin Phehla has been the first student to lose their life during the Fees Must Fall protests this year. He was in his final year of his degree in Information and Communication Technology.
Written by Jody Davison
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