From the Office of the Senior Director: Protection Services, Noko Masalesa

Welcome to the Department of Protection Services website. We hope that you were able to find whatever information you were looking for.  If not, please check under the various menu items and feel free to contact us or send an email using the details provided on the home page.

Our mandate as the Department of Protection Services is to create and maintain a safe working and study environment on all the campuses of the University of the Free State, as well as other satellite sites where UFS activities are taking place. We derive our mandate from various legislation, policies, and strategic UFS documents such as Vision 130 and the Strategic Plan. For example, section 8(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 states that “every employer shall provide and maintain, as far as is reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health and safety of his employees”.

On the other hand, Section 8(2)(h) also states that “without derogating from the generality of an employer’s duties under subsection (1), the matters to which those duties refer include, among others – enforcing such measures as may be necessary in the interest of health and safety”.

The core functions of the department include security operations, traffic law enforcement, parking management, technical security, threat detection, investigations and liaison, emergency and crisis preparedness, as well as off-campus safety and security coordination.

The department has also implemented policies to address various aspects of protection services, namely the Protest Management Policy, Security Policy, Crime and Incident Management Procedure, Traffic Safety Procedure and Parking Management Policy, as well as various standards and standard operating procedures. Although the department has no jurisdiction to directly provide services to students residing off campus at privately owned premises, it has contracted private armed response security providers and also has strategic relationships with other law enforcement agencies and neighbourhood associations to assist in providing safety and security services to students residing off campus.

Please reach out to us should you have any ideas that can positively contribute to our mandate to create and maintain a safe campus environment for all.