The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) briefed the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Innovation on safety and security challenges in the post-school education and training (PSET) sector. The sector has been under siege from unknown forces and some university vice chancellors have been forced to employ body guards.
The committee welcomed the DHET’s report on risks and security threats at post-school education institutions and TVET colleges, as well as the department’s proposed interventions. The committee was also briefed on measure to mitigate gender-based violence in the sector.
According to a DHET survey on security risks for the management of PSET institutions, the vice chancellors at the universities of Venda and Fort Hare have had to employ the most security personnel, followed by the universities of Zululand and Johannesburg. According to the DHET Director-General, the University of Zululand’s rural location requires more security personnel. The survey also found that control rooms are not adequately utilised and are monitoring less than 25 per cent campus infrastructure.
Some 48 per cent of participating universities held safety awareness campaigns once a year, but only half the student and staff body participated in these campaigns. The most prevalent crimes universities should consider when drafting their security programmes are sexual assault, robbery and common assault, violent protest, theft and murder.
Earlier in the year, a body guard died during an attempt to assassinate Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Fort Hare. The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, has also strongly condemned the murder of the university’s executive protection officer.
The committee was concerned about money diverted from education to provide security services in the PSET sector. The committee further called for strengthened relationships with the South African Police Services, private security services and the community at large to protect students and staff. The committee also noted that during its recent visit to KwaZulu-Natal to assess readiness for the 2023 academic year, it found that vice chancellors and CEOs at the universities of Zululand, Mangosuthu Coastal TVET College and Umfolozi TVET College all had body guards.
DHET said universities such as Pretoria, Vaal University of Technology and Cape Town declined requests to participate in the survey, due to the nature of the questions being asked. DHET said there is an urgent need for access control, video surveillance cameras and a coordinated response between universities, security services and the South African police. The committee was concerned to hear that some institutions did not participate in the study and called for a collective and coordinated approach to issues of safety and security across the sector.
During the meeting, the committee also dealt with the problems encountered by students in privately-owned establishments. Some of these challenges included incidents of GBV, overcrowding, transport to campus, inadequate security and a weekend party culture.
The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education Science and Innovation, Ms Nompendulo Mkhatshwa, said “The level of security at private accommodation is one of the things that needs to be looked into and there is need to ensure the safety of students and contribute to their academic success.”
The committee recommended that security services at institutions of higher learning are standardised and that security service personnel are trained in management of protest action.
Jabulani Majozi (Mr)
27 February 2023
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