Thugs victimise female students

Varsity beefs up security after kidnap attempts

North West University female students are living in fear of being abducted after several attempted kidnappings were reported near the institution.

The situation led management at the Mahikeng campus to beef up security and increased police visibility on the nearby road where the students were attacked.

Sowetan spoke to two female students who escaped the attackers.

A 21-year-old student who lives in a residence said she had accompanied a friend after an evening class out of campus on August 15.

She said while they waited for a taxi near a juvenile prison at about 7.40pm, a white Polo stopped in front of them.

A passenger in the front seat jumped out and tried to grab them, without saying a word.

“I ran away. I made sure that I ran fast. He chased me, and I started screaming for help. He gave up and went back,” said the student who is studying international relations.

She said after realising that the man had given up, she went back to check on her friend.

“I found the other man fighting with my friend, he was trying to forcefully take her bag.”

Her friend, a first-year education student, said she thought she was going to die after the man managed to grab her. “I thought they were going to take me away, I was scared. I screamed. I just wanted to see myself freed from that man’s hands.”

Fortunately, a neighbour who heard the screams came out and the suspects got into the car and sped away with her handbag.

The second student said campus security told them similar incidents were reported by other female students.

They said the car had three men inside.

Kgomotso Ramukua, who is studying information systems, said she no longer accepted lift offers.

“We don’t trust anyone, it’s sad because we have evening classes.”

A fourth student, Onkamile Seikaneng, said: “Let the university get us a shuttle for outof-campus students or cut late classes, this is scary.”