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19 March 2021 | Story Cobus van Jaarsveld

As students are returning to campus, Cobus van Jaarsveld, Assistant Director: Threat Detection, Investigations and Liaison at Protection Services, believes it is important that they ‘know’ and practise safety at the UFS:

1) Know the number of your Department of Protection Services:

• Bloemfontein Campus: +27 51 401 2911(also in cases of GBV)
• Qwaqwa Campus: +27 58 718 5032 / 5029 / 5033
• South Campus: +27 51 505 1298

Protection Services staff are the experts on campus safety, and they are able to point out the safest routes on and around campus, especially after dark. They can also assist with any safety concerns you may have.

As a student, you are smart; use your senses:
o Never let a stranger in your room or apartment
o Never walk alone after dark.

2) Know how to use alcohol

Although drinking and driving is a big NO, there are some other cardinal facts about drinking that you need to take note of:

• Never consume a drink provided by a stranger
• Never leave a drink unattended
• Never drink too much too quickly
• Always leave a party with a buddy

3) Know the basics of personal finance

You will be bombarded with offers from credit card companies, clothing stores, etc. Know how to budget. If you do not know how to budget, please contact the Student Counselling and Development office to assist you. This skill will not only make your life easier at varsity, but also once you start earning an income.

Be aware of fraud. If something looks too good to be true, it often is.

Watch your wallet. Theft or robbery is a possibility.

4) Know how to be safe on the internet

You are spending a lot of time on the internet. Unfortunately, criminals are also spending time in cyberspace with the aim of taking advantage of unsuspecting people like you. This may include cyberstalking, which may lead to emotional or physical harm, or it may result in them taking your information or money through phishing scams. Do not become a victim and ensure that you
- never use the same password twice;
- never use unsecured Wi-Fi to access private accounts;
- always use passwords that are difficult to guess;
- never reveal important information such as your banking login details to strangers calling on the phone; and
- never mention your location online.

5) Know basic self-defence

Avoid being the victim of any form of harassment or assault. Learning basic self-defence techniques will help you to protect yourself from physical attacks.

Protection Services offer self-defence classes from time to time. Make use of the opportunity and equip yourself with these self-defence techniques. Also buy yourself pepper spray, which can give you time to escape.

“Lastly, be aware of your surroundings. Walk with a purpose, without headphones, and always pay attention,” says Van Jaarsveld.



News Archive

Student leaders reflect on post-Holocaust Germany and make connections to post-apartheid SA in study tour
2015-12-08

Njabulo Mabaso
Photo: Sam Styrax

“Our beloved South Africa (SA) has done quite a lot insofar as policy formulation to address the past imbalances is concerned. However, implementation has proven to be the biggest challenge.”

This is the view held by Nkosinathi Tshabalala, former Student Representative Council (SRC): Religious Affairs at Qwaqwa Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS), who was part of the Global Leadership Study Tour.

From 14 - 22 November 2015, a cohort of 37 outgoing SRC members studied through tours and seminars in Germany and Poland. The historical education trip was organised jointly by UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Jonathan Jansen, and the Student Affairs office. The study tour was supported and facilitated by the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre.

Tshabalala added: “We know the thinking behind the likes of Reconstruction and Development Programme and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to mention only two. But what have these done to close the gap between the rich and the poor? What have they done to encourage proper and complete reconciliation? Germany paid for the damages which came as a result of the Holocaust, and it is time that we do the same.”

Mosa Leteane, former SRC President of the Bloemfontein Campus, echoed Tshabalala’s sentiments as they relate to the SA experience. “In light of the Rhodes Must Fall movement, one of the things that the youth was looking at were the symbols, what symbols mean, how symbols works as part of reparation and redress in a country that has come from a tragic past,” she said.

Leteane identified similarities between how our country and the two European nations have confronted the issue of trans-generational trauma and the reconciliation process, albeit in significantly differing circumstances.

“Within the first 20 years or so, it was almost like SA. Nobody wanted to talk about it, people just wanted to build the country.” Nonetheless, “the memorialisation and commemoration happened only for the last 20 years or so,” added Leteane.

Transformation of the European political, environmental, and social landscape took place only when students and the second generation began to challenge the status quo, and to lobby for transformation through the erection of memorials and monuments. Owing to the courage of the young generation, those countries were able to take meaningful steps towards transformation through an accurate narration and commemoration of history, which is a key factor in reconciliation.

Our students had the opportunity to conduct a comparative study of post-Holocaust Germany and post-apartheid South Africa in terms of how government and universities dealt with trans-generational trauma.

By being exposed to remnants of what used to be sites such as the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp memorial in Poland, the young leaders were encouraged to continue their attempt at nation building and advance transformation and reconciliation.


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