The two institutions earlier today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalise their partnership on the endeavour. The signing of the MOU comes just days after the death of a 23-year-old student from the University of the Free State (UFS) made headlines when his body was found in Willows. This follows just months after another UFS student was fatally stabbed on his way home with his friends when they were confronted by a group of males who demanded their cell phones and money. 

Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of the CUT, Prof. Henk de Jager, says they are aware of safety issues experienced by students and are working on measures to upgrade their security measures and improve the safety of their students.

De Jager says they are extremely concerned, particularly of off-campus students' safety as less than 10% of students are actually based on-campus. He told those gathered at the MOU signing ceremony that security remains a concern and improving access control to their campuses remains a priority.

Just over a year ago, the students at the CUT and the UFS joined hands to march against the lack of safety of students in the province - #UFSSafetyMarch. They gathered at the UFS Bloemfontein campus's main building and marched to the municipality where they handed over their memorandum of demands to the metro's Executive Mayor, Olly Mlamleli, and police MEC, Sam Mashinini.  

OFM News/Sazly Hartzenberg and Katleho Morapela