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15 September 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Unsplash
Kidnapping and human trafficking are a real threat to people worldwide. Should you find yourself in such a situation, your main focus must be on your own safety and survival.

Kidnapping and human trafficking are a real threat to people worldwide, and recent incidents reported on social media highlight the need for staff and students to remain vigilant, says Cobus van Jaarsveld, Assistant Director: Threat Detection, Investigations and Liaison from Protection Services at the University of the Free State.

Van Jaarsveld adds that should you find yourself in such a situation, your main focus must be on your own safety and survival. 

He provides some tips to avoid being kidnapped, as well as some actions to take when you are kidnapped. These tips come from sources that deal with incidents such as these on a daily basis, including WorldAware, the South African Police Service, and Interpol.

When walking to your destination, keep the following in mind:

• Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
• Tell a trusted person where you will be, who you will be with, and when you expect to return.
• If you sense that someone is following you when you get off a bus, taxi or train, walk towards a well-populated area.
• Do not wear headphones or read while walking or standing on the street.
• When on the street, walk facing oncoming traffic. It will be harder for someone in a vehicle to abduct you.
• Do not hitchhike.
• Try to maintain a low profile.
• Modify your fashion style, toning down colours and accessories.
• Wear comfortable clothing; women should avoid wearing high heels and slippers, which are difficult to run in when attempting to escape. If you are going out with high heels, always have a pair of comfortable flat shoes handy.
• Avoid wearing clothing with long straps such as scarves, necklaces, and purses. These items can be used to strangle you or to tie you up.
• Try to not overload yourself with packages.
• Stay off the street if you are alone and upset or under the influence of medications or alcohol.
• Avoid using outside ATMs at night or in unfamiliar surroundings.
• Avoid isolated or poorly lit restrooms and be extra careful on stairwells.
• Do not get into an elevator with someone who makes you feel uncomfortable. If this is unavoidable, stand near the controls and locate the emergency button.

Prof Beatri Kruger, Research fellow at the Free State Centre for Human Rights in the UFS Faculty of Law, has conducted extensive research on the topic of human trafficking over the years. She adds to Van Jaarsveld’s safety tips and says it is important to memorise emergency telephone numbers. “Save them on your cellphone, especially the 0800 222 777 number, which is the Human Trafficking national helpline available 24/7 free of charge.”

Alternatively call the mobile phone emergency number 112 or Protection Services toll free line 080 020 4682.

“It is also important to arrange a code word with family or close friends – so that when you say or text that word and where you are, they will know to immediately come to you.”

In this day and age, Prof Kruger also urges everyone to empower themselves with reliable information on what trafficking is and what methods traffickers use to lure, deceive, trap, and control you. She suggests the website of the national Freedom Network: http://www.nationalfreedomnetwork.co.za/ or their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NationalFreedomNetwork/ for more information. 

• Distribution of fake news 
 
Staff and students are requested to refrain from distributing fake news on any communication platform, as the distribution of fake news places an additional burden on the limited capacity of law enforcement agencies. 
 
Currently, a message is being distributed on social media and via WhatsApp, containing content with unconfirmed allegations that was originally distributed in 2017 (a company by the name of Forex, kidnapping females for human trafficking and selling their body parts). 
 
Protection Services supports the university's sentiment – as communicated in the Strategic Plan – that the well-being and safety of its staff and students need to receive top priority.   
 
They are currently looking into an alleged incident that occurred on 14 September 2020; all steps are being taken to ensure the safety of our students and staff. 

News Archive

Kovsies proud of a gold PRISM Award for safety campaign
2015-05-05

Stefan Lotter, Leonie Bolleurs and Lacea Loader. All three are from the Departement of Communication and Brand Management at the UFS.
Photo: Hannes Pieterse

The University of the Free State, takes pride in the gold PRISM Award (from the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa) for the B Safe Take Action safety campaign that has been rolled out on the campus since 2013 by the Department of Communication and Brand Management.

The campaign earned the Von H Brand Provocateur gold award in the internal communication category.

“The UFS is the only tertiary institution to receive a gold award. The award is a great honour for the department, considering the cream of South African public relations took part in the competition, and the standard was naturally very high. It was also a feather in the cap for us that the uniqueness of the campaign received national recognition from our peers in this manner, said Ms Lacea Loader, Director: Communication and Brand Management at the UFS.

The university is responsible for about 32 000 students and 4 000 members of staff on its three campuses: the Bloemfontein and South Campuses in Bloemfontein and the Qwaqwa Campus in the Eastern Free State. It is of cardinal importance for the university that its students, staff, and assets are safe.

Apart from safety measures that have been implemented by the UFS Protection Services, the B Safe Take Action campaign has also been rolled out on the three campuses of the UFS. The campaign supports the safety strategy of the university. It is aimed at developing a culture of safety awareness in students and staff alike. The purpose of the campaign is for staff and students to take ownership of their own safety. In addition, it creates awareness of the safety measures that are in place at the UFS.

The campaign has been rolled out on various communication platforms. These include placards, pamphlets, lamp-post advertisements, an advertisement board, emails, and messages on student communication portals such as Blackboard, the UFS web and intranet, social media, information boards in the campus parking areas and on the pedestrian walkways as well as messages on refuse bins around the campus. “The fact that a variety of communication platforms has been deployed, the striking design and character of the messages, and the number of target audiences that have been reached further contributed to the success of the campaign,” said Ms Loader,

The campaign also received a merit award from the International Association for Business Communication (IABC). The award will be presented on 15 June 2015 in San Francisco, USA.

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