Thabo Mohlala
Several students were left injured and ferried to the nearby provincial hospitals when a stampede broke out at Capricorn TVET College in Polokwane, Limpopo, forcing management to suspend their ongoing registration indefinitely.
[BREAKING NEWS] Two prospective students have been taken to hospital after a stampede at the Capricorn TVET college in Polokwane in Limpopo- Hundreds of applicants have been queuing for admission for the 2018 academic year #sabcnews/ Pic: @WitnessTiva pic.twitter.com/jMp6g3jqG8
— SAfm news (@SAfmnews) January 11, 2018
According to eyewitnesses, the campus security personnel failed to control throngs of prospective students who pushed through the gates. It is believed students were queued since the early hours of Monday morning.
Reports say the registration queues stretch between 4 and 5kms with some students having slept outside the campus to be first in line. Gladys, one of the prospective students who spoke to SABC news, said since Monday the institution battled to deal with the applicants.
“Yesterday we started queuing from 6am and already at 8am the line was so long we felt demoralised. We have now been told we should report at Peter Mokaba stadium where registration would now be held,” she said.
Walk-in applications have been discouraged and prospective students were instead encouraged to register online. In 2012 a mother, Gloria Sekwena, was trampled to death during registration at the gates of the University of Johannesburg.
