Benjamin Lesedi Phehla‚ the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) student who succumbed to injuries he sustained during a #FeesMustFall march‚ was a promising leader.

Students and TUT officials took turns on Thursday to pay tribute to Phehla‚ saying the 23-year-old showed immense potential.

 Phehla lost his life as a result of injuries he sustained during a #FeesMustFall march in Soshanguve‚ north of Tshwane‚ last week on Thursday.

 Phehla and a number of other students were struck by a car during the march‚ but Phehla suffered the most serious injuries and died.

 Police and management of TUT said the motorist lost control and his car then ploughed into students. A case of culpable homicide was opened‚ but no one has been arrested.

 TUT held Phehla’s memorial service at its Soshanguve campus‚ where he was completing his final year in IT. He was a member of the campus’ outgoing student representative council.

 Phehla’s relatives‚ including his visibly devastated mother Leah Phehla‚ travelled from North West to attend the service. He will be buried on Saturday.

Lourens van Staden‚ TUT’s vice-chancellor‚ said he identified Phehla’s potential when he interacted with him during meetings to resolve students’ issues.

 “Indeed he was a selfless leader. There’s no doubt in our minds that if he lived [longer] he would have been a national leader in our country‚” he said.

 Van Staden announced a scholarship fund in honour of Phehla. TUT will fund an IT student as from next year through this bursary. He said the university will try to “find ways to keep his memory alive”.

 Students demanded that a residence should be renamed after him.

 Gwen Ramokgopa‚ TUT’s chancellor‚ said Phehla was a young man with integrity. “Lesedi ran his race with integrity and compassion.

“I have no doubt there are many leaders like him in this institution.

“As we say‚ may his soul rest in peace‚ we want to say to the family your pain is our pain.”