A 19-year-old Nelson Mandela University student, Sesethu Mboza, has died by suicide after allegedly being r@ped.
Advocates blamed the school for failing to protect her from seeing her accused attacker on campus.
A 19-year-old student of Nelson Mandela University, Sesethu Enhle Mboza, has reportedly taken her own life after she was allegedly r@ped by another student on campus.
According to the South African advocacy group, Women For Change, the tragic incident occurred on October 29, 2025. The group revealed that after the ass8ult, Mboza reported the case to the police, and the suspect was arrested but later released on bail.
“After allegedly being r@ped in October, Sesethu opened a case with the police. The perpetrator was arrested but later released on bail,” Women For Change said in a statement issued on Sunday.
The organization expressed deep concern that Nelson Mandela University failed to protect the victim, allowing the accused student to return to campus despite the pending case. It said Mboza suffered severe trauma and panic attacks from repeatedly encountering her alleged attacker in the same environment where she was supposed to feel safe.
“Women For Change is deeply shocked that a student charged with r@pe was allowed back on campus. This is not only a failure of compassion but a complete disregard for the safety and mental well-being of survivors,” the group stated.
The advocacy group further questioned the university’s gender-based violence (GBV) policies, stressing that educational institutions should have effective systems to safeguard students and support victims of s€xual ass8ult.
It called on Nelson Mandela University and other higher education institutions in South Africa to take responsibility and strengthen their GBV response mechanisms to prevent similar tragedies.
“No survivor should ever be left feeling unsafe or unsupported within a place of learning. Sesethu’s life mattered, and she deserves justice,” Women For Change added.
