Walter Sisulu University students in Butterworth are being robbed at gunpoint inside their own rooms at night.
A group of thugs is apparently targeting students who live both on and off Ibika campus.
Butterworth police spokesperson Captain Jackson Manatha said there no arrests had been made yet.
“All the robberies were committed during the night. Msobomvu detectives are working around the clock to trace the perpetrators.”
The Daily Dispatch visited the campus last weekend.
“I cannot wait for the day I finish my examinations and get out of this hell,” said second-year education student Ziyanda Sompahla.
Fashion design student Khayelitsha Radebe and his roommates had been robbed by two armed assailants.
The incident happened at about 3am on Sunday. Radebe said they were woken by a knock and moments later, the door was forced open.
“They entered and ordered us at gunpoint to cover our faces. They demanded money, cellphones and laptops,” Radebe said.
He said the ordeal lasted for about 30 minutes, and the robbers also took bags and stuffed their clothes and shoes in them.
“After they were done they left and locked us inside.”
Siphendule Mxhiliba, a BTech information technology student, said he was also robbed at gunpoint in his room in the small hours. It happened on November 11 in block E.
“It was about 1am. I had just returned from the library. I left the door unlocked as I was expecting my roommate to return,” he said.
Mxhiliba said the gang opened the door and pointed a gun at him. “They took a laptop and three cellphones.”
Final-year fashion design student Onke Mbulani said their room at a res off-campus was broken into last Saturday while he and his roommate were working on their garments for an upcoming fashion show on campus.
“When we returned in the morning we realised that the room was broken into. They took everything – phones, laptops, clothes, shoes and groceries.”
Mbulani said his neighbours were also robbed, but the Dispatch was unable to reach them.
EFF’s deputy general secretary Anna Nyokana said there could be more cases.
“The situation is worse now that we are writing examinations. Students get accosted on their way from library and robbed in their rooms,” he said.
Nyokana said all attempts at getting the university to do something about it had failed.
“They do nothing to protect students. They know about the robberies, but are not doing anything about it,” he said.
A group of students has now started a Fight Against Crime Movement, and they wrote a strongly worded memorandum to campus rector Victor Mthethwa calling on university management to beef up security at all residences.
“Let us tell you that if crime continues and students lose their assets, you, management, will be liable for those losses. If the management is tired of carrying out their task, we will chase them out of office,” stated the memorandum.
The student affairs department has since announced on the campus Facebook page that those who had been robbed should come forward to identify their cellphones, some of which have been recovered.
University spokesperson Yonela Tukwayo did not respond to sent questions. Manatha said anyone with information about the robberies could contact Msobomvu police on 047-492-0180...