Univen promises to beef up security

The rector of Univen, Prof Peter Mbati, has promised to beef up security, amid allegations that lax security led to the death of a 21-year-old student who was stabbed to death on campus a week ago.

Speaking on campus during a mass meeting on Monday, Mbati said the university would implement an integrated security plan. There will also be a community policing forum on campus and students will be provided with bicycles for patrolling the campus.

A third-year nursing, Miss Takalani Mmbulungeni of Vhurivhuri, met an untimely death last Thursday, after allegedly being stabbed repeatedly by her boyfriend. He allegedly lay in wait for her at the back of the students' sports hall.

The nasty incident sent shockwaves throughout the country, after her pictures were posted on Facebook shortly after the incident.

Mbati and his management faced a barrage of criticism from the student body. These included lax security, old student cards that have not been deactivated and a demand that the university must play a role in the burial of the dead student.

The president of the student representative council, Mr Andisani Mathelemusa, said the university was not taking complaints from students seriously. “We are greatly saddened by the death of our dear friend," he said.

The victim's father, Mr Phineas Mbulungeni, said the family was blaming the university for poor safety on campus. “We are devastated by the whole incident and we are putting all the blame on security at the gate for not doing their job. These people are paid to protect our children, but instead, thugs and killers are entering with weapons. If they had done their job, our angel would be still alive today,” he said.

“My child was such a loving person with a good heart. We could see that there was a bright future ahead of her; now our dreams were shattered.”

“We can confirm the incident and that we have opened a murder and attempted murder dockets against the boyfriend,” said Thohyandou police spokesperson Const Avhafarei Tshiovhe.

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News - Date: 20 May 2013

Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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