Staff and attendees present at Stellenbosch University’s (SU) annual Open Day were forced to evacuate the SU Library, Rooiplein and Neelsie Student Centre on 6 May because of a bomb threat.
This is according to Tertia Kruger, the director of communications at SU, via a media release shared with SMF News.
“With the help of [Stellenbosch University’s] campus security we blocked off the area so that parents and prospective students can’t walk through the area,” said Minette Sieberhagen, private student organisation coordinator at Stellenbosch University. PHOTO: Hannah Theron
Three-hour evacuation
“At 9:30 we were alerted by the police that there was a bomb threat on campus,” said Minette Sieberhagen, private student organisation coordinator at SU.
Parents, prospective students and vendors were instructed to “stay at least a street away or in another building”, said Sieberhagen.
South African Police Service (SAPS) and the fire department were on the scene and assisted campus security and SU staff in clearing the area, stated Sieberhagen.
SAPS brought in bomb-sniffing dogs to conduct a sweep, said Sieberhagen.
SU maintains that “the safety of our campus community is, as always, of paramount importance and swift action ensued in accordance with standard emergency protocols”, stated Kruger.
SAPS was still present at the scene at 12:44, according to captain Nathalie Martin, spokesperson for Stellenbosch SAPS.
“The process was quite calm. I informed our student communities to please evacuate the area [as well as] all the vendors on campus today,” said Minette Sieberhagen, private student organisation coordinator at Stellenbosch University. PHOTO: Hannah Theron
Reopened
The Neelsie, Rooiplein and Library were reopened at around 12:45, according to Katelyn Wijtenburg, a vendor operating on the Rooiplein.
No further information was available at the time of publication.
“The Neelsie Student Centre, library and Rooiplein were evacuated on Saturday morning following a bomb threat,” said Tertia Kruger, the director of communications at Stellenbosch University, in a media release shared with SMF News. PHOTO: Hannah Theron