Continued loadshedding at the start of 2023 has had a direct impact on the safety of Stellenbosch University (SU) students on campus. This is according to Tayo Allerton, SU’s Student Representative Council (SRC) safety and security manager.
Adapting to loadshedding
“Loadshedding provides particular challenges to student safety, as there are large parts of the town and campus that are left in the dark during extended loadshedding phases at night,” said Allerton via email correspondence with MatieMedia.
SU has implemented measures to ensure student safety when travelling across campus at night, for academic reasons, added Allerton.
These methods include access to security guards that can accompany students between on-campus locations, such as the Neelsie Student Centre, the library, the study centre and faculty buildings to their place of residence, said Allerton.
“Areas that are not well lit should be avoided, especially when travelling alone at night,” said Tayo Allerton, the Student Representative Council (SRC) Safety and Security manager of Stellenbosch University, on student safety during periods of loadshedding. PHOTO: Jan-Hendrik de Villiers
Additional measures
“During the past few months meaningful progress has been made by the university to provide lighting on campus streets and walk-ways during loadshedding,” said Martin Viljoen, spokesperson for SU, via email correspondence with MatieMedia.
Projects to connect more street lights to generators on campus are underway and “the installation of back-up power supply sources have also commenced”, he added.
More immediate protocols have also been employed by the university to monitor safety around campus, said Viljoen. He explained that SU Campus Security vehicles conduct patrols and provide additional lighting during blackouts.
Campus Security has also incorporated the use of external safety services, such as the South African Police Service (SAPS), said Captain Nathalie Martin, the spokesperson for SAPS Stellenbosch.
SAPS, Campus Security and other security stakeholders meet monthly to discuss the safety issues and operational plans, explained Captain Martin.
“It is important to stay updated on the latest information regarding loadshedding by monitoring the loadshedding schedules,” said Martin Viljoen, spokesperson of Stellenbosch University, via email correspondence with MatieMedia, on the impact loadshedding has on student safety. PHOTO: Jan-Hendrik de Villiers
First-hand experience
Apart from SU’s measures, some students have adapted to the power outages in their own ways when staying on campus late at night.
“I would check the loadshedding schedule beforehand… and work around it,” stated Kristin Dry, a second year BCom marketing and management student at SU. Dry further stated that she would rely on the services of the security guards to accompany her to her destination.
Kirsten Dry, a second year BCom Marketing Management student at SU, would sometimes rely on fellow students to accompany her when she had to walk somewhere late at night. AUDIO CLIP (in Afrikaans): Kristin Dry