By Amahle Radebe
The community of the Durban University of Technology’s Steve Biko Campus is in shock after a student jumped to his death earlier today.
The suicide was filmed by those nearby and the videos are being widely shared. One of the people filming from a distance can be heard as they say, “He surely must be doing a prank.”
There is another video showing the student’s lifeless body on the ground with blood splashed around it.
The area of the incident has been evacuated even though students kept on returning in an effort to see the body for themselves. The university has requested those sharing information about the incident online to be respectful of the family. “We are aware of reports already circulating on social media regarding this tragedy and we humbly request that you remain respectful and not share unverified information,” the DUT statement reads.
The university says the police have already been to the scene.
Mental health practitioner and UKZN lecturer, Dr Winnie Ngcobo, says students are dealing with a lot of pressures but they must always seek help. “Even though we can’t know the exact cause that made this one student jump, young people must consult psychologists and other mental health practitioners when they feel overwhelmed about what they’re going through.”
The Durban University of Technology’s Student Counselling Department can assist any student who reaches out to them when they feel overwhelmed.
A note on the Student Counselling online page reads: “The primary purpose of the department, as a whole, is to provide critical, high quality psycho-social emotional, academic and medical support services to students.”
