Three armed robberies have taken place at UCT less than a week after a march on the campus to protest against crime and rape.
|||Cape Town - Three armed robberies have taken place at the University of Cape Town (UCT) less than a week after thousands of students and staff marched through campus to protest against crime and rape.
Last Wednesday’s march by more than 3 000 protesters was triggered by UCT business science student Bayanda Baba’s fatal shooting during an attempted robbery at a bus stop in Gugulethu in January.
A day after the protest, two visitors and two UCT security guards were held up at gunpoint on Stanley Road Middle Campus in Rondebosch.
The visitors were robbed of their vehicle, watches, a bag, passport and money.
Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk said the vehicle, a silver Nissan Almera, was later recovered in Athlone. A case of carjacking has been registered at the Rondebosch police station.
“Our information is that the robbers followed the visitors on to campus after they had withdrawn money from a bank in Main Road. UCT Campus Protection Services unit is working with the SA Police Service on the case,” said Patricia Lucas, communications manager at UCT.
Last week on Monday and Friday saw two more incidents in the vicinity of the UCT campus, with students being robbed at knifepoint.
According to Lucas, one of these incidents took place in the parking lot on the main campus in Rondebosch on Monday. The other occurred in Anzio Road, Observatory, just outside the Health Science campus on Friday morning. In both cases, students were robbed of their cellphones. No arrests have been made.
“No one was physically injured and we believe the two cases are unrelated to the protest march and rally at UCT on February 20; rather we see these incidents as part of the wider pattern of crime that is affecting all of South Africa.”
But many students are now fearing for their safety.
“I have been much more cautious on campus since the incidents,” said medical student Russell Githinji.
Honours student Mackson Lefoka said: “With all these incidents, it is hard to believe that safety on campus is the main priority. I do not feel safe.”
Speaking at the campus protest march last week, UCT Vice-Chancellor Max Price called on the government to do more to address crime.
“We want to say directly to those in authority that we feel you are failing us.” The UCT SRC has also spoken out against the crimes.
“The SRC takes every instance of crime very seriously. That guns were used in a robbery the day after a march against crime is of particular concern,” said SRC president Lorne Hallendorff.
While the university does have measures in place to deal with crime, the SRC believes that more can be done.
“Students need to feel the presence of security guards when they are moving around at late hours on campus,” said Hallendorff.
As a response to the crimes the university has increased patrols in the areas concerned and is working with the police to resolve the cases.
sibusisiwe.lwandle@inl.co.za
Cape Argus