Wits to investigate stone-throwing individuals from private security company

by Ayanda Mgede | Sep 22, 2016 | Featured 1

INJURED: The hand of a student who had been hit by one of the hurling rocks thrown by Wits’ private security.                                                                                                                           Photo: Nasya Smith

A private security company whose employees were in a stone-hurling clash with students on the Great Hall steps on Tuesday have not had their contract terminated though Wits is investigating individuals, the university said.

This comes after allegations that Wits had cancelled the contract with the company after its security guards retaliated against stone-throwing students by throwing stones themselves. Wits spokesperson Shirona Patel dismissed these claims saying the university had opened an investigation and would wait until it has concluded to decide on anything.

“The head of security is currently compiling a report and based on that report, they’ll decide whether they terminate the contract or not,” she said. The investigation report is expected to be out in “a day or two”.

Patel said she could not confirm which company had security guards involved in the stone throwing but the investigation was set out to identify individuals that were involved in the scene.

Wits Vuvuzela spoke to Diligence Security Services, which confirmed that they had guards deployed at Wits on the day and that some of them had stones hurled at them.  Another security company, Fidelity Security Services, said that they didn’t have any extra security of their own at the Great Hall but confirmed that the security guards at the Great Hall were deployed Diligence Security guards.