Investigations
The investigation and tactical response team and information investigation team of the Department of Protection Services strive for excellence to protect the rights of everyone and to be respectful, impartial, open and accountable to the campus community.
We also use the powers conferred on us in a responsible way and provide a responsible, effective and high-quality service with honesty and integrity.
The vision of the department is to create a safe and secure environment for students, academic staff, support staff, contractors and visitors (campus community) at the North-West University. In order to pursue our vision and mission we gather intelligence, prevent and combat anything that might threaten the safety and security of the campus community; investigate any crimes that threaten the safety and security of the campus community; participate in efforts to address the causes of crimes on campus; handle lost and found items on campus, and monitor special events on campus in terms of SASREA.
Take note!
Fake ‘prophets’ target students outside Mahikeng Campus
27 February 2024
Criminals claiming to be ‘prophets’ are targeting mostly first-year female students outside the NWU’s Mahikeng Campus. They instruct students to give them laptops and then disappear with the equipment.
According to the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) Trio Crimes Detectives, the scammers are driving a white Volkswagen Polo. They generally approach lone students as they are walking outside campus.
The deceivers start a conversation initially asking for directions to or from campus. They then reveal that they are supposedly “prophets” and start making ‘prophecies’ about the student’s life. Taking advantage of the student’s diverted attention and vulnerability they proclaim that if the student takes five laptops to them, her ‘problems’ ― as identified in their false prophecy ― will be solved.
They quickly disappear once they receive the laptops. This leaves the student to deal with the theft and to replace the laptops.
“We previously encountered a similar issue on the NWU’s safety and security “Purple” routes, and successfully curbed criminal activities through security measures in those areas,” says Fortune Letshele of the NWU’s Protection Services. He says the criminals have however now shifted their focus to adjacent routes.
The NWU’s Protection Services encourage students and staff to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to them or to the South African Police Service at 018 389 2794 or 10111.