"There was lots more agression, more than we have seen in past years. The behaviour of the students was absolutely appalling," said David Charteris of Rhodes University’s Campus Protection Unit (CPU), speaking about incidents in Grahamstown during the Inter-Varsity tournament this weekend.
"There was lots more agression, more than we have seen in past years. The behaviour of the students was absolutely appalling," said David Charteris of Rhodes University’s Campus Protection Unit (CPU), speaking about incidents in Grahamstown during the Inter-Varsity tournament this weekend.
Incidents over the weekend include a student that was hit on the head and stabbed in the neck by a fellow student on Friday night, two seperate hit-and- run incidents on African Street and a security guard who was badly injured with his arm broken in two places. "The security guard was treated at Settlers Hospital but then had to be rushed to Port Elizabeth due to the nature of his injuries," said Irene Solomon, Settlers Hospital spokesperson.
It is beleived that one of the hit-and-run incidents involved a Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) student who was apparently knocked down by a policeman. Roslyn Baatjies, spokesperson for NMMU, confirmed that the student, Mkhuseli Saleni, was a member of the NMMU soccer club. "He was knocked over and the driver of the car did not stop. We were told that he was taken to Settlers Hospital where he was examined and discharged," she added.
A nurse at Settlers Hospital confirmed that a student was involved in a hit-and-run incident and brought in by ambulance on Saturday evening. But contrary to what NMMU claimed, the nurse said that "he was very drunk and refused to be treated, so he just left on his own". She said that she also heard that the driver of the vehicle was a policeman and added that when the police came looking for the student he had left already.
Kerry Peter from Rhodes University’s Communications and Development Division confirmed that a student was involved in a hit-and-run incident. She added that there had also been a break in at the Vice-Chancellor’s residence over this weekend which was reported to the police. It is not confirmed whether any students were involved in this incident or not. No details could be given on the numerous other incidents that occured during the Inter-Varsity tournament. "We do acknowledge that the festive spirit of Inter-Varsity and the consumption of alcohol does result in rather boisterous student behaviour," she added.
The police were contacted for official comment, but no comment was obtained in time for publishing.
