17 May 2022
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Story Lunga Luthuli
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Photo Supplied
Staff from the University of the Free State Department of Protection Services pictured with the delegation from the University of Limpopo during their benchmarking visit.
The University of the Free State
Department of Protection Services hosted a delegation from the University of Limpopo on Friday, 13 May 2022 as part of benchmarking best protection service practices.
During the visit, discussions included the management of student protests, gender-based violence, fire emergency responses, and challenges experienced with the Campus Protection Society of Southern Africa.
The visit by the University of Limpopo follows similar benchmark visits by the Central University of Technology, Sol Plaatje University, and the University of Johannesburg.
Noko Masalesa, Senior Director: Protection Services, said: “The visit by the University of Limpopo was used to take them through our vision 2024, to show them some of the advanced CCTV cameras that the UFS has installed, the policies, and organisational structure. Part of that strategy is to enhance the university’s security technology in line with the best practices.”
Masalesa said: “The UFS has a good model to manage all the different functional areas of the Department of Protection Services, and most universities are impressed with the new CCTV cameras that we rolled out and the other advances made in the development of protection services over the past five years.”
To remain among the leaders in protection services within the higher education, the department also visited Stellenbosch University, the University of Cape Town, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta University – both in Kenya.
Mampuru Mampa, Director: Safety and Security at the University of Limpopo, said: “Like other institutions, the University of Limpopo is dealing with crimes affecting students on and off campus, as well as student protests. Fostering collaboration and benchmarking will assist our protection service departments to develop and implement a standardised approach to improve safety on our campuses.”
On lessons learnt during the benchmarking tour, Mampa said: “We have learnt about security system integration, investigation systems approach, off-campus security, and student protest management.”
Mampa believes “it is important for protection service departments across the higher education sector to develop standardised security measures to improve safety, and benchmarking assists in closing gaps in protection services”.