On Tuesday student activist Vusi Mahlangu went missing. His friends and student organisations have tried to open a missing persons case but have been told to wait until Thursday for the police to intervene. In the meanwhile, a group of #OutsourcingMustFall protesters are reported to have been arrested, and others shot at. Â DANA DA SILVA rounds up what has happened.
Protesters at the Walter Sisulu University in Mthahatha were shot, and others arrested on Wednesday. According to News24, a clash between private and striking campus security guards resulted in several injuries.
“The information we received was that the group of security guards… on strike entered the university through a broken fence and they were confronted by another group of security guards. One of the protesting security guards was carrying a knife and he charged at one officer. He retaliated by opening fire and the other guard was shot in the stomach,” Lieutenant Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela told News24.
While early reports indicated four people had been kidnapped on Wednesday, it has since emerged that these protestors were protesting on the Mthata campus when they were arrested after university security personnel were attacked. This is according to Dino Brown, an individual affiliated to an NGO, Machine Gun Preachers working in Mthatha.
One activist however remains missing.
Vusi Mahlangu, the spokesperson for the OutsourcingMustFall movement, was reported missing by his friends on Tuesday. He was last seen on Tuesday morning at 10am leaving a friend’s home. He disappeared while he was on his way to a meeting of outsourced workers at the Walter Sisulu University’s Mthatha campus.
Vusi Mahlangu’s life may be in danger. #bringbackvusi
Media, please investigate.
All, please RT. pic.twitter.com/4BuoQ4WKFp
— Equal Education (@equal_education) March 29, 2016
Later in the day, he sent a Whatsapp message saying that he had been kidnapped or arrested, and that he was bleeding and was being held at a dark unknown place. He later said that he had suffered a nose bleed.
Vuyo Mntonintshi, of the Students for Law & Social Justice at the university tried to open a case with the police but he and others were told to wait 48 hours. This has led to the hashtag #BringBackVusi, which people are using to voice their concerns for their missing comrade.
leading outsourcingMustfall activist and revered thinker, Vusi ‘old man’ Mahlangu is still not found. #BringBackVusi
— Mqadi (@ngcebo92659703) March 30, 2016
Why is #SaveSylvester trending higher than #BringBackVusi? Animal life vs. Human life in this here South Africa.
— Siphumelele Zondi (@SZondi) March 30, 2016
Why are student activists disappearing Apartheid style??? #BringBackVusi
— Commentator… (@SirLehlohonolo) March 30, 2016
they must bring him back you cant kidnap the face of the struggle and expect it to go unnoticed #BringBackVusi
— #LeMpitse (@iamMrKhandacool) March 30, 2016
When I was in Jail Vusi and others stood outside Brooklyn police station the whole night I will not rest #bringbackvusi NOW
— Lobengula (@Themko47) March 30, 2016
Allegations that security company, Xhobani security, were involved in Mahlangu’s kidnapping have reportedly been rejected by the managing director of the company.
On Thursday morning, Dino Brown confirmed that a location trace was done on Mahlangu’s phone this morning and it was successful. They can’t confirm if Vusi’s phone is with him, but the police are on their way to the location of the phone.
