Tighter security on varsity campuses

STAFF and students should expect increased visibility of security measures around the exam venues, UCT spokesperson Elijah Moholola said.

“We regret that security must be deployed to such an extent on campus to secure the exam venue.

“In the prevailing context, there is unfortunately no alternative,” he told the Cape Times.

“Campus protection services, private security officers and the SAPS are working closely on the project.”

The Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s (CPUT) security deployment, which has been widely condemned by student activists, will remain on campuses until the assessment period is over.

CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley said: “Private security will remain in place at least until our assessment period is completed. There has been no increase in security recently, since we have had an incident-free assessment period, with no need to bolster security efforts.”

CPUT student activist, Aviwe Gwayi said: “We have never been comfortable having security. The majority of students don’t protest. Students were fighting victimisation and it is understandable, but security on campus, ‘iyadika’ (it’s exhausting).

“Yesterday, comrades at the Bellville campus wanted to have a meeting but security guards arrested them for ‘contravening the interdict’. They were released late yesterday.”

At Stellenbosch University, the first exams passed without incidents.

University spokesperson Martin Viljoen said: “So far, we have not experienced any problems, but the normal security measures are still in place.”

At UWC, the new SRC president, Lumkile Thomas, said there wouldn’t be protests during exams.

The university’s spokesperson quoted Thomas as saying: “We are at a critical time in our academic calendar, a time that will decide whether or not we progress to the next phase.”