JOHANNESBURG, February 25 (ANA) – Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) expressed “extreme concern” for student safety after violent mugging incidents in which three students were attacked.
Spokesperson Willa de Ruyter on Thursday said three TUT students were mugged and injured Thursday morning in separate incidents at the Metro Rail station near the Pretoria (West) campus.
De Ruyter said two students were robbed and injured during multiple stabbings and one was shot and wounded in what appeared to be a theft related incident.
“All three were admitted to hospital. Two of the students are in a critical condition,” she said.
Netcare 911 spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said: “Netcare 911 paramedics managed to stabilise the critically injured man on scene. A Netcare helicopter was dispatched to the scene to airlift the critically injured student to a Johannesburg hospital for further medical care”.
De Ruyter said: “Large numbers of TUT students and staff daily commute to campus using Metro Rail trains”.
She added that the train station was in the public domain, but in view of the risk to the safety of the University’s staff and students, TUT management would urgently engage Metro Rail to ensure that the train station area was safe.
Professor Lourens van Staden, Vice-Chancellor and TUT Principal said he was “shocked and concerned” at the attacks on students.
The University said it was monitoring the condition of the hospitalised students.
– Africa News Agency (ANA)
