Woman who allegedly stabbed UFH student to death arrested and charged with murder

An unnamed woman was arrested and charged with murder after she allegedly stabbed her boyfriend to death on Saturday morning, IOL reports.

Yonela Boli, 24, a MSc geology student at the University of Fort Hare, was stabbed to death by his alleged girlfriend during an argument at the Iona Residence on Alice campus.

He died at Victoria Hospital in Alice at around 5am after arriving there at 4.30am.

Sizwe Kupelo, the department of health’s spokesperson, said the student arrived at the hospital in the early hours of Saturday morning with a “3cm stab wound in his back”.

“He went into cardiac arrest and died an hour after he arrived in hospital,” said Kupelo.

The suspect, a masters in geology student, was arrested by the police over the weekend and is expected to appear at the Alice magistrate’s court on Tuesday, 11 February.

Brigadier Thembinkosi Kinana, the Eastern Cape police’s spokesperson told SABC News that the suspect has been arrested and that an investigation into the alleged murder has been launched.

The University of Fort Hare’s director of institutional advancement, Tandi Mapukata, announced Boli’s death “with a deep sense of sadness and frustration”.

Mapukata said the female suspect was a fellow student and “close friend” of Boli.

“This is a double tragedy for the university, the families [of the victim and suspect] and society at large. Gender-based violence is not welcome on our campuses,” Mapukata said.

Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, the vice-chancellor at the University of Fort Hare, sent out his condolences to the deceased’s family and condemned any form of violence on and off-campus.

He said the university would monitor the case to ensure that justice was served and the family gets closure.

“We are affected by Yonela’s death especially considering the suspect [is] a student at this university,” he added.

“We call upon students to exercise tolerance during interaction with fellow students and members of society in general. On behalf of the university community, I wish the family comfort and strength during this sad hour in their lives,” he said.

The university has offered counselling to students affected by Yonela’s death.

(Background reporting by News24 Wire)

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