Irate students call for security boss’s head
NELSON Mandela University students have called for the university’s head of safety and security to be axed following the assault at the Second Avenue campus on Monday night.
A crowd of almost 1 000 students raised several issues with NMU management on the south campus yesterday afternoon, including asking for protection services department head Derek Huebsch to be fired.
Another issue raised was the perceived slow response time of security and police.
Earlier in the day, the students marched to the north and south campuses to protest against the attacks.
Sasco south campus branch chairwoman Yandisa Jubase said this was not the first incident where students’ safety had been at risk, with similar meetings being held before but no action being taken.
“We are tired of reading statements from NMU saying ‘we condemn’ or ‘we regret to inform’,” Jubase said.
“We are tired of our struggles being reduced to little more than a hashtag on social media. This time we want to be taken seriously.
“We are not protesting because we just want attention. We want to see real action being taken.
“Huebsch is incompetent. We want to know what management plans to do about him, because he is not doing his job properly.”
Another Sasco leader, secretary Sonwabiso Mdani, said police should be visible on campus all the time and “not only during Fees Must Fall protests”.
Student demands included intensified security and a visible police presence, especially around night-time test venues.
They asked for panic buttons, a functional emergency hotline, more controlled access to campuses and a so-called “green route” between key points on campus permanently patrolled by security.
Students also wanted shuttle services running between residences as well as off-campus facilities at night.
NMU biochemistry lab employee
Gration Hewitt was one of the first to respond to Monday night’s incident, and was welcomed with cheers by students.
Despite being in Central when he read about the attack on Facebook, he reached the scene of the crime in Summerstrand before police or campus security had responded.
“On my way, we phoned the police but they simply asked too many questions,” he said.
“They could have responded in the time it took them to finish with my call. And when we got to the Second Avenue campus, the security did not even know what had happened.
“We found the victim inside the building crying.
“Neither the security at the front or the back of the building had any idea what was going on.
“How can anyone feel safe on NMU campuses?”
Responding, Huebsch said a number of the points raised by the students were already being addressed and increased security measures would be put in place.
“We are rolling out plans to implement green routes and emergency stations with panic buttons on and off campus,” he said.
“Additionally, we are in the process of increasing CCTV equipment across all campuses.”
Heubsch said investigations had been launched – one by the police and the second by his department – into the response of security services on campus.
However, he was booed by students, with many waving at him, shouting “Hamba Huebsch.”
Acting NMU vice-chancellor Dr Sibongile Muthwa said Huebsch represented her team and she took full responsibility for the failure to protect the students.
“Crime in Port Elizabeth has spiked recently and I myself feel fearful in this city,” she said.
“I identify with your fears, and I believe most of your demands are not unreasonable and we will address them as quickly as we can and give you feedback during this week.”