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17 March 2025 | Story Tshepo Tsotetsi | Photo Charl Devenish
Safety Campus Launch 2025
Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Hester C. Klopper, Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale, and Free State MEC for Community Safety, Roads, and Transport Jabu Mbalula alongside other members of the newly formed Campus Community Safety Forum.

The University of the Free State (UFS) hosted a two-day Ministerial Campus Safety Launch on 12 and 13 March 2025, a collaborative effort spearheaded by the UFS Protection Services in partnership with the South African Police Service (SAPS) to enhance safety and security for students and staff.

The event, held at the Centenary Complex on the UFS’s Bloemfontein Campus, aimed to address safety concerns, introduce a framework for campus security, and formally launch the Campus Community Safety Forum (CCSF).

Notable attendees included UFS Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Hester C. Klopper, Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale, Free State MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport Jabu Mbalula, Acting SAPS National Deputy Commissioner for Support Services Lieutenant General Lineo Nkhuoa, Senior Director of Protection Services Noko Masalesa, Deputy Director of Protection Services Cobus van Jaarsveld, representatives from various UFS departments, SAPS officials, and members of the Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC).

Multi-stakeholder approach to campus safety

As the driving force behind the initiative, the UFS Protection Services played a crucial role in ensuring that safety discussions translated into actionable solutions. Prof Klopper emphasised the importance of a collaborative approach to campus safety, saying, “I believe what makes this initiative destined for success is its focus on cooperation and collaboration. Each stakeholder brings a specific body of expertise to the table.”

The Deputy Minister reaffirmed the SAPS’s commitment to enhancing safety in academic environments. He noted that safety in learning environments remains a key priority for the SAPS. “We are fully aware that we need you [management and the student community] to be part of us in an endeavour to better the crime situation in and around this institution,” he said.

MEC Mbalula acknowledged that safety on campuses requires collaboration from various parties. “Safety on campus is not the responsibility of one entity alone; it requires the involvement of students, faculty, security personnel, law enforcement agencies, and the broader community,” he said.

Identifying key security challenges across UFS campuses

The need for strengthened security measures was reinforced by ISRC representative Ogorogile Moleme, who detailed the safety concerns faced by students on the Bloemfontein, South, and Qwaqwa Campuses.

Muggings, break-ins, and cyber-related crimes remain a challenge for the Bloemfontein Campus, especially in off-campus residences. “While the university has made significant strides to have off-campus security, we have seen an increase in reports of muggings – for example, the incident of a student who was mugged by criminals driving by – break-ins, and cyber-related crimes,” Moleme said.

South Campus faces issues related to accessibility and transport safety, particularly for students living in townships. “Most of our students at the South Campus end up residing ko kasi [in a township], and we know the situation… forcing them to constantly have to go to campus to access resources and study facilities, which thus leave them exposed and vulnerable to mugging, kidnappings, robbery and others.”

On the Qwaqwa Campus, the challenges are heightened by limited police visibility and response times, as well as inadequate lighting in some off-campus residences. “The conditions of the safety of off-campus accommodations there is concerning,” Moleme emphasised.

Launch of the Campus Community Safety Forum (CCSF)

On the second day of the event, the Campus Community Safety Forum (CCSF) was officially launched, marking a critical step in the UFS’s proactive approach to security. The CCSF is a structured body that brings together representatives from the university and the SAPS to enhance collaboration and implement preventative security measures.

Its members include:

• From UFS: Protection Services, ISRC, Division of Student Affairs, Student Counselling and Development, the Gender Equity and Anti-Discrimination Office, the Department of Communication and Marketing, and other key university stakeholders.

• From the SAPS: The Community Police Forum, Youth Crime Prevention Desk, officers from the Park Road Police Station, and additional law enforcement representatives.

Pledge for a safer campus

In a significant move to formalise their commitment, the Deputy Minister, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, MEC, and other key stakeholders signed the Campus Safety Learning Environment Framework, which sets out specific commitments to improve campus safety, with goals including rolling out the framework at the UFS, appointing station liaison officers to coordinate safety efforts, and establishing campus safety committees with representatives from students, Protection Services, and local law enforcement.

This pledge is a testament to the shared responsibility of ensuring student safety across the campus, with a focus on collaboration, accountability, and proactive solutions.

A call for immediate action

Prof Klopper called on all stakeholders to move beyond discussions and take immediate action. “The forum is not merely a discussion platform, but a governance structure with key roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes,” she said. She also highlighted the importance of this initiative in developing preventive measures and fostering community engagement in safety efforts.

Van Jaarsveld underscored the critical role students play in maintaining a safe campus environment. He introduced the “four R’s” that he believes are key to promoting safety: “We must reduce the likelihood of crime by being proactive in policing and security efforts… [we must] respond, which involves taking swift and effective action, including thorough investigations led by trained professionals... It is essential for students to report incidents as soon as they occur, as safety issues cannot be addressed if they are not reported. Lastly… in the unfortunate event that a student becomes a victim of crime, they must not only survive but recover and overcome the traumatic impact of the experience.”

He emphasised that these actions are not only the responsibility of law enforcement but of everyone on campus, and ended his speech by declaring, “Safety starts with me.” This call to action reinforced the idea that creating a safe environment is a collective effort, one in which every student plays a crucial part.

The MEC reiterated the Free State government’s commitment to student safety, stating, “The launch of the SAPS Campus Safety Initiative marks a new chapter in our collective effort to make UFS a model of security and excellence,” and added that universities must be places “where knowledge thrives without the shadow of fear”.

News Archive

Course on sustainable development recognised at COP 17
2011-12-07

 

Some participants of the PED Nexus Programme during a field trip are from left: Jacques van Zuydam, Chief Director: Population and Development at the national  Department of Social Development; Prof. André Pelser, course coordinator (UFS); Prof. Sosten Chiotha, Director, LEAD Southern and Eastern Africa; and Dr Nola Redelinghuys, course facilitator (UFS).

The University of the Free State (UFS) received a nod of approval at the COP 17 Climate Change Conference in Durban for a short course it presents in partnership with the Chief Directorate Population and Development, United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA), LEAD International and SANParks.

The UFS received an honourable mention in a press release from the Department of Social Development for the short course entitled ‘Leadership Training in Sustainable Development: The Population, Environment and Development (PED) Nexus’. The release was issued as part of COP17. It mentions that the course is recognised in a publication of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as one of ten innovative experiences and best practices in population and development in the developing world.
 
Prof. André Pelser, UFS Professor in Sociology, says the university played a key role in the development and implementation of the course. The UFS has been presenting the course since its inception in 2005.   Similar courses under the banner of the PED Nexus, although in a totally different format, are also presented at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and the University of Cape Town. A total of 21 courses have been presented nationwide since 2005, of which the UFS has hosted eight. More than 230 participants from all over the world have been trained in these eight short nine-day courses.
 
The PED Nexus Programme focuses on the interrelationships of population, environment and development and its significance for sustainable human development and is closely linked to the implementation of the national Population Policy for South Africa. The press release reads that the programme is implemented in the form of short courses that target professionals and managers in governments at all levels as well as non-governmental agencies responsible for the implementation of programmes related to sustainable development.
 
Prof. Pelser and Dr Nola Redelinghuys, also from the Department of Sociology, have recently been tasked by the National Department of Social Development to upgrade the course outline.  The next course will run from 17-25 April 2012. As in the case of pervious courses, the first six days will be hosted on our main Campus in Bloemfontein, whereafter course participants and their facilitators depart to the Golden Gate Highlands National Park for the practical part of the course. 

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