Stampede: Teen still wants to study at UJ
2012-01-11 23:03
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Johannesburg
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Johannesburg - The young man whose mother was killed during a stampede at the University of Johannesburg, Kgositsile Sekwena, still wants to study there, his dad said on Wednesday.
"It remains his preferred university," said Joe Sekwena.
His wife Gloria, 46, and son were queueing at the university on Tuesday hoping to get last-minute admission for him, when the crowd of about 6 000 pushed against the gates from behind.
Gloria fell as people surged forwards, and suffered head and chest injuries.
She died at the scene.
Joe Sekwena said Kgositsile and his brother, Musimane, who is in matric this year, are trying to cope with the tragedy as best they can.
The university on Wednesday offered to pay Kgositsile's tuition fees, but Joe says they are not even thinking about a bursary right now.
"My wife is dead. At the moment I'm focusing on just that," he said.
The UJ's registrar, Professor Marie Muller, said a memorial service would be held on the campus when the Sekwena family feels up to it.
On Wednesday a few young people were still milling around the entrance to the Bunting Road campus in Auckland Park, where the incident happened, hoping to get admission.
This despite the UJ's announcement on Tuesday that late applications had been closed.
Mpho Rampedi, a UJ student who was standing in line for his brothers and sister, was there when the thousands of waiting people surged forwards.
He said he was so afraid, that he stood aside.
Mpho said he saw how Sekwena died.
"It was horrific. They just walked over her."
