Safety & Security

The Campus Protection Unit (CPU) office and control room are situated in Rhodes Avenue next to Hobson House . The 24-hour control room operates 365 days of the year and is the nerve centre of the security operations and the after-hours help- desk on campus . It has radio communication with the guards, monitors burglar, panic and fire alarms, is the after-hours switchboard and call centre for the University, and responds to first information of crime reports, calls out University standby technicians and deals with lost and found property . It employs nineteen Rhodes guards, six supervisors and 28 contract guards from a local security company, HiTec . All staff work on a shift cycle to provide a security service throughout the year . Rhodes CPU guards wear blue uniforms, while HiTec guards wear black uniforms with a yellow badge .

These guards are all highly visible and patrol campus 24 hours a day, both on foot and on bicycles .

The CPU Manager performs various tasks under safety and security for the University and works closely with all departments and committees in the university . The supervisors are responsible for the day-to-day running of the shifts, posting of the CPU and HiTec guards and running of the control room and Help Desk .

CPU is the first point of contact for any issue on campus and to call out any of the standby support personnel and emergency services, be they fire, ambulance, police, etc . In addition to their patrol work, guards also open and close lecture venues, administrative buildings and after-hours function venues, escort students and staff on campus, perform traffic and parking duties and report defunct lights on campus .

They also operate a ‘lost and found’ service . All emergencies must be reported immediately to the CPU control room

Wardens can phone the Control Room for assistance with any matter at any time of the day or night . On receipt of a call, a guard will be dispatched immediately to assist the warden .

CPU: 046 603 8146/7

After-hours emergency number: 046 603 8999
Safety hints on campus

Guards will accompany students on campus at night for protection, if requested, and students are encouraged to make use of this facility . Students can approach the nearest CPU guard or visit the CPU offices on Rhodes Avenue and request an escort .

All incidents should be reported immediately to CPU for assistance . Students should make use of the Blue Route, a well-lit, clearly demarcated, patrolled route that runs from the bottom of Prince Alfred Street (across the road from the Drama Department), all the way to the top of the hill, past Nelson Mandela Hall . It also runs along St Peter’s Campus and up to Winchester House on Beaufort Street . Forty-eight SOS panic buttons are installed at various places around campus . They are identifiable with a yellow chevron backing board and red button . A student in trouble can push this and the CPU will pick up the signal at their headquarters . Students are also encouraged to remember that common sense is their best defence!
Students should be aware of their surroundings and of the people in their environment at all times . It is also not advisable for students to walk around Makhanda alone, particularly at night . Students should always walk in groups, stick to well-lit areas or try to arrange a lift home . Students should also note that CPU is not allowed to transport any student to a destination on or off of campus .

Other hints to pass on to students include the following:

?         Take out personal insurance;

?         Lock your doors and windows when leaving your room and when going to sleep;

Last Modified: Wed, 16 Feb 2022 11:13:25 SAST