Nelson Mandela University and the South African Police Service joined hands to launch a Campus Community Safety Forum to ensure the safety of all students and staff across all its campuses.
Earlier this week, a two-day session was held in George to introduce the forum to the Western Cape-based campus.
The launch of the Forum on Friday took place at the university's Business School in Gqeberha, and was supported by university management, police officials, and the student body.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sibongile Muthwa said: "As Nelson Mandela University, we fully endorse this collaboration between our University, law enforcement agencies and our various stakeholders to work together in ensuring safer environments for all at our campuses and in our neighbourhoods."
"It is in our unified responses and coordinated efforts that solutions to realise safer spaces will be truly realised and sustained," she said.
Speaking on behalf of SAPS, Major-General Thokozani Mathonsi said: "We are here to work with you at any time of the day. I am confident that if we work together, the forum will be a success."
According to Mathonsi, this "first-of-its-kind forum" will also address gender-based violence on, and around the university campuses.
He called for the support and cooperation of staff and students to ensure the success of the Forum.
Student Representative Council president Yiva Makrwede said the student body welcomes and appreciated the strides made by the institution to ensure the safety of especially female students on university property.
"The safety of students has been a pressing matter especially because we have received reports of them being robbed inside shuttles and when walking between North and South Campus. So this forum is a step in the right direction in addressing the crime issue."
Makrwede also mentioned that crime at the Missionvale campus and its' surroundings have also left students scared and traumatised.
"It got so bad that the university had to increase the campus protection unit."
The Director of Protection Services Donovan Lesch, said the Forum would work hand-in-hand in finding a solution to the increasing crime in and around the university's campuses.
He said later this month a much bigger engagement would be hosted at the university which will see his department re-visit its crime-fighting strategy.
