Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Student Representative Council (SRC) recently hosted an imbizo to discuss safety issues that students feel have been ignored. SMF News was in attendance.
“We hosted the safety imbizo because we felt there is a vacuum for safety issues in Stellenbosch,” said Mzwakhe Bolotina, communications manager for the SU SRC. “Students [previously] couldn’t raise safety issues without involving the South African Police Services [SAPS] or other stakeholders.”
The imbizo took place on 10 April at the Stellenbosch town hall and was attended by mayor Jeremy Fasser, captain Nathalie Martin, SAPS spokesperson, Martin Viljoen, SU spokesperson, and Dr Leslie van Rooi, SU interim director of student affairs.
The Stellenbosch town hall, where a safety imbizo was held by the Stellenbosch University (SU) Student Representative Council (SRC) on 10 April. According to Zahn Marais, the safety officer for the SU SRC, the imbizo is a space for curiosity. PHOTO: Enzokuhle Sabela
Reason for the meeting
“Between 2021 and 2024, [reported] mugging incidents increased from 95 to 300 incidents [annually], according to Stellenbosch crime stats,” said Dr Vanya Gastrow, keynote speaker and senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies.
“We didn’t just host the imbizo because of the stabbing incident of an SU student last year, even though it made us realise that we aren’t entirely safe,” said Bolotina.
Fasser said the reason for the imbizo was to have honest and robust discussions about crime and air out safety concerns of the stakeholders in attendance.
Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Student Representative Council (SRC) interim vice-president, Amber Nieuwenheyzen, addressing the imbizo hosted by the SRC on 10 April. PHOTO: Enzokuhle Sabela
“It seems that students are one group that are affected by crime, because they’ve called this meeting,” said Gastrow, when commenting on who is mostly affected by crime in Stellenbosch.
Gastrow said stakeholders should meet to gather information about the crime situation in Stellenbosch.
“The university, the police, the SRC, and other stakeholders should collectively address various forms of crime,” she said.
Importance of community meetings
Bolotina said that more engagements like the imbizo will be held.
“There’ll be more robust engagements,” said Bolotina. “We’ll have safety classes where we will distribute pepper spray to students so they can protect themselves.”
“For the past two years, things have increased in terms of pulling people together for forums and meetings,” said Marcus Oosthuizen, a business owner and resident in Stellenbosch. “It’s a lot of work being done behind the scenes.”
Dr Viljoen van der Walt, the chief director of risk management and security at Stellenbosch University (SU), addresses the attendees at the Stellenbosch town hall, where a safety imbizo was hosted by the SU Student Representative Council (SRC) on 10 April. PHOTO: Enzokuhle Sabela
“We need more events like this,” said Dr Viljoen van der Walt, the chief director of risk management and security at SU.