Police, students’ meeting collapsed
The meeting aimed at addressing crime problem at the Philip Nel Park in Pretoria West was called off after adispute between the police and students.
On Monday, a meeting between TUT students and Pretoria West police to discuss security at the Philip Nel Park student residency fell apart after three hours.
This follows an argument about police failing to bring a written response to the meeting in question.
The written response was supposed to have been in response to a march to the Pretoria West police station two weeks ago after a student was raped by an unknown assailant in the area.
The meeting was held at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries in the area.
At the march, thousands of students from Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) as well as concerned community members demanded police intensify security in their area.
“The police came into the meeting without a written response on what they have done since we marched to the station,” student leader Thapelo Makinta said.
He said a written response was important in order to hold the police accountable.
“We are still waiting for the police to call for another meeting,” he said.
Makinta said they were surprised to be invited to the meeting by the CPF because the meeting was supposed to be organised by the police and not the CPF.
Makinta accused police of not patrolling the area.
“They say they patrol the area, but we do not see them doing so.”
He said Varsity Lodge management did, however, improve security at their student accommodation facilities.
Police confirmed the meeting was indeed called off because of absence of a police written response.
They said, as far as they were willing to solve the students’ problems, some demands were however “impossible”.
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“Police cannot assume the role of security guards at any of the student residencies,” Pretoria West Police spokesperson Cst Sibongile Vuma said.
“We have a whole community to service.”
She said improving security at student accommodation buildings should be the responsibility of building managements.
“We are, however, willing to work with student to prevent crime in the area that affects them.”
Pretoria West CPF chairperson Fridah Ratau said the decision for them to call the meeting was made at a meeting the CPF held with police last Monday.
She said this was in line with the police approach in fighting crime across the country, which is by working with community members through the CPF structures.
“The CPF is the link between the police and the community and vice versa.”
She said they decided to adjourn the meeting because it was clear that police did not have a written response and that the students were not willing to accept that and continue with the meeting.
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