Students should remain vigilant both on campus and throughout Stellenbosch town, following a recent incident of bicycle theft that occurred in the area.
A first-year female student was cycling to her private residence outside Stellenbosch University (SU) campus when an unknown man stopped her around 17:00. According to the student’s father, the man blocked her path on the sidewalk and threatened to stab her unless she handed over her bicycle. This apparently marks the third such incident in the area just outside the town centre within the last six months.
According to Stellenbosch police spokesperson Captain Nathalie Martin, high-value items such as bicycles are frequently stolen by thieves who then sell them outside of Stellenbosch. Martin says robbers typically operate in groups of three or four and threaten their victims with knives, as was the case with the first-year student.
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The SU Campus Security, as per legislation, may only patrol the area that physically makes up SU property.
However, students who reside outside the official campus area may still contact Campus Security in case of an emergency, but the type and nature of the emergency will dictate the response, explains SU spokesperson Martin Viljoen. He says students also have the options of informing local police or security partners operating in the areas in question.
“A comprehensive safety and prevention awareness programme remains central to the university’s approach. SU continues to run an extensive campus safety campaign, themed ‘Together for a SAFER campus’, aimed at equipping students and staff with practical knowledge to reduce risk.
“Safety information is shared through posters, residences, faculties, social media and a dedicated campus safety website. Awareness programmes are annually expanded with new topics and communication channels,” Viljoen adds.
Many local students, like the first-year student, use bicycles to navigate central Stellenbosch, an area congested with heavy daily traffic.
“As a new student, she shouldn’t have to spend her university years feeling afraid. This could have happened to her sister, also a student, since they both rely on their bikes to get to class, and around town but also to their sport-training session almost everyday,” the student’s father explains.
Martin says Stellenbosch police work closely with local law enforcement and other safety stakeholders. At the weekly Stellenbosch Safety Partnership meeting, planning and feedback from different role players are discussed. “Out of these meetings, necessary roadblocks, search warrants and stop-and-search operations are executed,” she explains.
Students who are victims of crime, be it on campus or outside, are urged to open official cases with Stellenbosch police as resources are deployed according to official crime statistics. Hotspot areas for opportunistic crime, including robberies, include the following streets: Dorp, Bird, Plein, Andringa, Crozier, Paul Kruger, Dennesig, as well as the Eikstad Mall parking lot.
Viljoen reminds students returning home that they can use the safety night shuttle, available from 18:00 to 06:00 within a 6 km radius of the campus.
