Increase in muggings on Wits campus and in Braamfontein
A Wits Vuvuzela journalist was mugged and robbed of her bank card on Sunday in yet another incident of crime affecting Wits students in and around the campus.
This latest incident is one of three muggings known to Wits Vuvuzela in the last two weeks.
Last week a female student who declined to be named, was was held at knife point by two assailants near Flower Hall. The two men threatened to kill her if she screamed and demanded her valuables. She handed over her cell phone and laptop while the men managed to escape on foot.
In a second incident, a third year BA LLB student was mugged while studying in her car in the third year parking lot near the Enoch Sontonga entrance two weeks ago.
She told Wits Vuvuzela that her “window was open” when the incident took place in broad daylight. “I looked up and he was leaning into the car. He put his hand over my mouth and told me not to scream but I did.”
The man, wearing a white hoodie with a beanie, grabbed her cellphone and ran away. The student tried to pursue the thief on foot but was unsuccessful.
“He fled in the direction of East Campus and Central Block. I didn’t want to leave my car unlocked and unattended so I just let him go,” she said.
In the latest incident, the Wits Vuvuzela journalist, who asked not to be named, was mugged by two men at an ATM in “Braam Centre” just off Jorissen Street.
“I was returning from church, I had just drawn money when two men approached me from behind,” she said.
The men demanded her valuables. She managed to hide the money she had just drawn from them but they took her bank card and ran out of the building.
Campus Security and Liasions manager, Lucky Khumela said there had been a “spike” in crime in and around the “campus area over the last few months,” but was unable to give any details.
“We are dealing with the situation,” he said.
He said students need to be careful. “If students are leaving campus at night must, they can ask Campus Control to escort them to their vehicle or to their residence”.
Students are encouraged to report any suspicious activity on campus to Campus Control, 011-717-4444/6666
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Wits Vuvuzela: CLAMP-DOWN ON CRIME AT WITS, May 9, 2014
Wits Vuvuzela: WITS VUVUZELA JOURNALIST IN ATTEMPTED HIJACKING IN AUCKLAND PARK, ROBBED AT GUNPOINT, May 2, 2014
Wits Vuvuzela: VUVUZELA JOURNALIST MUGGED AT WITS, May 1, 2014
