UCT SRC holds night vigil for Uyinene Mrwetyana

At least 80 students braved the weather for a vigil for UCT student Uyinene Mrwetyana on Monday night. There were the soft sounds of sniffling, crying and many held each other in sorrowful and comforting embraces throughout the two-hour-long vigil.

“I have to say that I’m not okay because it could’ve happened to me also, it could’ve happened to any of us sitting here, but it happened to her,” said UCT Secretary-General, Azola Krweqe.

“I didn’t know Uyinene, but when I found out that she had been missing my first reaction was ‘yoh! Another one?’ because this wasn’t the first time (that a woman has gone missing at the university). Today, I found out that she passed away and I have to say that I’m not okay,” said Krweqe.

Earlier on Monday, a man appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s court. The 42-year-old man works at the Post Office where Mrwetyana was last seen in Claremont. The man was charged with murder, rape and obstructing the means of justice.

Siya Nyulu, a student from Rhodes University, thanked everyone for the support that was also being extended to Noma Mrwetyana, Uyinene’s mother, who is the director of student affairs at Rhodes.

“I cannot cry any more because it’s the same issue every year at institutions of higher learning: students are not safe,” said Nyulu.

An unidentified student sitting in the crowd asked that we also remember her friend, Jesse Hess.

“I personally didn’t know Uyinene, but I have a friend, I’m sure some of you have heard about her on the news, her name is Jesse Hess. I’d like to ask you guys to help in any way you can through prayers and not just praying for her family but for the rest of us who are really unsafe.”

Jesse Hess was a first-year theology student at the University of the Western Cape. She and her grandfather were found dead in their home over the weekend.

“All we can hope is (that) wherever Nene is that she will find that comforting place, that she will be embraced into eternity and welcomed by all her ancestors”, said Tatum Joseph, from the Humanities postgraduate student council. DM