The session brought together students, off-campus residence managers, accommodation landlords, the South African Police Service (SAPS), a private security company, the University’s Protection Services, and representatives from the Central Special Rated Area (SRA).
Spearheaded by the Senior Director for the Missionvale, Second Avenue, and Bird Street campuses, Sharon Masiza, the gathering provided a platform for students, off-campus resident managers, and accommodation landlords, to voice their safety concerns and co-create solutions to the crime and security challenges facing the Central community.
Masiza welcomed the attendees, emphasising the University’s commitment to creating a safe and supportive environment for its students.
“Our vision for this campus is to ensure that we create a home-away-from-home for our students.” Masiza concluded.
University Director of Protection Services, Donevin Lesch, presented an overview of the University’s five-year safety and security strategy, designed not only to safeguard the campus but also to positively influence surrounding communities.
“Gqeberha is ranked as the 7th highest-risk city in the world in terms of crime. We can either ignore this reality or confront it collaboratively. Working together has already shown that we can achieve more,” Lesch stated.
Chief Executive Officer of private security company City-Wide Security, Stephen Moore, reported tangible successes in the Central area by using surveillance technology, including camera networks that have led to several arrests. The potential integration of an intercom system into existing infrastructure is also being explored.
“This is thanks to the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), as we’ve installed camera poles that allow us to monitor some streets,” said Moore.
Moore urged students to report any criminal activities to the South African Police Service, as this significantly improves their ability to respond and prevent further crime.
Mandela University student Mahlubi Celesi expressed appreciation for the dialogue and proposed the creation of a monitored "Green Route.”
“We know not every street can be monitored at all times, but there should be at least one safe, highly monitored route we can rely on,” Celesi said.