Cape Argus reports that #FeesMustFall protests might have contributed to the death of University of Cape Town (UCT) health dean and world-class cardiology researcher Professor Bongani Mayosi, 51, who committed suicide on Friday.
Addressing the media on Sunday, UCT vice-chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng said Mayosi’s office was occupied for two weeks in 2016 by protesting students demanding free education and transformation. “He went on three months’ leave and early this year collapsed because of a psychological attack. Protests in 2016/17 weren’t kind to him as a dean. Students were angry at him, called him a coconut - out of anger. He experienced pressure from staff, students and black students,” Phakeng indicated. Mayosi, who was suffering from depression, tendered his resignation in November. Phakeng also said UCT had seen a rise in mental health issues, not only among students but among staff, who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the protests. #FeesMustFall activist Chumani Maxwele said he respected Phakeng’s opinion, but believed “the university killed Mayosi and seven other black students who committed suicide last year. … The biggest silent killer is the work environment for black academics at the institution, not him being called a coconut.”
- Read this report by Zodidi Dano in full at Cape Argus
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