A suspect arrested in connection with the murder of Jesse Mitchell, abandoned his bail application during his court appearance at the Stellenbosch Magistrates’ Court on 21 October.
Magistrate Aleric Amos told the accused that he is to remain in custody until 27 November, pending further investigation of the case.
Mitchell, a first-year student at Stellenbosch University, was robbed of his personal belongings and fatally stabbed in the early hours of the morning on 16 October.
Rudolf Hufke was arrested several hours after the murder. He made his first appearance in court on 18 October, but the matter was postponed to 21 October for his alleged involvement in the murder of Mitchell. This is according to various media reports.
Community activists rally against bail application
Meanwhile, various community activists gathered outside the magistrates’ court on the morning of the hearing.
Members of Stellcare and Spiritual Crime Prevention, as well as other community activists such as Stephanie Heneke, sent a broadcast message on social media, calling for community members to “be the voice” for Mitchell, campaigning against the bail application of the accused.
A group of community activists gathered outside the Stellenbosch Magistrates’ Court on 21 October to rally against the bail application of Rudolf Hufke, a suspect in the murder of Stellenbosch University student, Jesse Mitchell. Hufke abandoned his bail application and will remain in custody until 27 November. PHOTO: Mia Oliver
Advocating for the safety of students
“The reason why I stand here [Magistrate’s court] today is because a student was murdered […] Before I’m an activist, I am a mother myself. I have a daughter of 17 years old, and Jesse was only two years older than my daughter […] I want to ask the students to please be aware of your area,” said Stephanie Heneke, a gender-based violence activist from Idas Valley.
Stellcare, known as the Stellenbosch and Districts Family Services, is a registered non-profit organisation dedicated to caring for, protecting, and empowering vulnerable children, families, and communities, according to their website. Members of the organisation showed up to the court hearing.
“It isn’t right that our children are murdered like this at varsity. We will have to look at the safety of the students in the wider Stellenbosch area, especially at the University of Stellenbosch. That is why we are here today; to ensure that the perpetrator doesn’t make bail,” said Sandra Jooste, a member of Stellcare, before Hufke’s appearance.
Community activists and members of organisations such as Stellcare and Spiritual Crime Prevention attended the bail hearing of Rudolf Hufke, the 19-year-old accused of murdering first-year Stellenbosch University student, Jesse Mitchell. The community members were seated outside the courtroom, awaiting Hufke’s appearance. PHOTO: Mia Oliver
A call for action to the broader community
“We plead with [people] to get involved in Spiritual Crime Prevention, so that we can invest in our youth, and we can invest in prevention, because prevention is better than [a] cure,” said Magdalene Blankenberg, chairperson of the Spiritual Crime Prevention, a community-driven initiative focused on addressing various crimes affecting local areas. This is according to the South African Police Service (SAPS) website.
Blankenberg was one of the activists who arrived at the court on the morning of 21 October. She also sat in court during the hearing. “I want to talk to the students today. I call on all the gender-based violence activists, organisations, every stakeholder out there, to take hands with us and to look and try to the best of our ability for the safety of our students out there […] Let’s start to raise awareness, for our young people,” said Heneke.
Community activists such as Stephanie Heneke, in collaboration with Stellcare, broadcasted a social media post calling on the broader community to “be the voice” for murder victim, Jesse Mitchell. They asked members of the community to gather at the Stellenbosch Magistrates’ Court to campaign against the bail application of the accused. PHOTO: Mia Oliver
Community activists and members of Stellcare and Spiritual Crime Prevention spoke to SMF News about the reasoning for their presence at the bail hearing of Rudolf Hufke. Hufke is a suspect in the murder of first-year Stellenbosch University student, Jesse Mitchell. Hufke abandoned the application for bail and will be held in custody until 27 November. VIDEO: Mia Oliver