Students at South African universities have to deal with a disturbing reality. They face the threat of violent crime, in particular gender-based violence. They also battle with substandard infrastructure – some of it life threatening. And institutions aren’t ready to respond.

We are academics in environmental health and public health. Our work examines occupational health and safety in educational environments.

We recently completed a review of health and safety challenges in South African universities. We looked at public records, police reports, campus press statements, and national media coverage of violent incidents. We also noted infrastructure hazards reported at South African universities from 2015 to 2024.

Our study covered 10 of South Africa’s 26 public universities to identify campus safety trends.

Our findings reveal persistently high levels of danger, including murder and bad student housing conditions.

Rather than declining over the 10-year period studied, incidents appear to be occurring with greater frequency and severity. This suggests that interventions have not done enough about systemic safety challenges.

Campus safety crisis and evidence-based solutions

South Africa has some of the world’s highest crime rates. In 2024, the country had a crime index of 75.4, which is to be considered high. Over the observed period, the value fluctuated between 75 and 77. The same index ranks the country as the fifth most dangerous in the world.

Our findings show that this pervasive violence has entered higher education institutions. It has created unsafe learning environments that compromise student welfare and academic achievement.

Violence on campus

Over the 10-year review period, we found repeated and widespread reports of violence involving students and staff.

Fatal violence was concentrated in certain provinces, notably Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Gender-based violence and student murders occurred in both formal university residences and off-campus areas.

Between January 2023 and September 2024, for example, at least 17 students were murdered across South Africa, based on police and media reports.

In 2023, the vice-chancellor of the University of Fort Hare, Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, was the target of an assassination attempt. During the attack, his bodyguard, Mboneli Vesele, was shot and killed while waiting for Buhlungu outside his home.

Women students were subject to rape and other forms of gender based violence. Our review recorded dozens of reported cases of rape and sexual assault in universities. Between 20% and 25% of female university students in South Africa report being sexually victimised during their studies. In 2017, South African university campuses recorded 47 cases of rape and sexual assault. The University of Cape Town had the highest number, nine cases. South Africa has 1.2 million students in its universities in 2025.

Gender-based violence cases are often under reported because of stigma and fear. Some universities lack support systems or clear procedures for handling complaints. Despite national policy pressure, the sector remains far behind in offering consistent protection and care.

Dangerous infrastructure and unsafe residences

Our findings show widespread problems with student housing.

Much of it is overcrowded, under-maintained and structurally unsafe. For instance, the University of Johannesburg’s 2022 occupational health risk assessment identified 11 high-risk sites on campus. These were linked to hazards such as poor ventilation, roof leaks and chemical exposure. An additional 33 areas were classified as moderate risk due to biological hazards, poor sanitation and inadequate waste management systems.

We also found that security in student accommodation was a concern. At some institutions, residences have unsecured entry points, making them easily accessible to intruders. Our research shows that lack of control has contributed to serious incidents, including killings and assaults inside residence rooms.

Substandard living conditions directly affect academic performance. Research shows that poor housing environments increase anxiety, illness and dropout rates.

Many universities rely on third-party providers to supplement campus housing. Oversight and safety standards in these accredited residences vary.

Poor response rates

Most universities lack clear protocols to respond to safety incidents.

In several high-profile incidents, including fatal attacks, university leadership delayed communication with students or failed to implement follow-up safety measures.

A few institutions have introduced safety initiatives like SMS alert systems, gender-based violence offices, and campus safety audits. These appear insufficient to address the systemic nature of campus safety challenges.

Violent incidents continue to rise. This suggests that the sector needs coordinated measures.

But there is no universal safety standard or consistent oversight to enforce safety requirements across institutions.

Safety and student success

This is more than a security problem.

Our research demonstrates that campus violence directly undermines academic achievement. Others show that unsafe student housing conditions have a negative impact on academic success. Students living in unsafe environments can’t focus on their studies.

Our analysis points to five critical intervention areas:

• annual safety audits with external verification and public reporting
• real-time campus alert systems integrated with security and law enforcement
• survivor support units staffed by professionals offering psycho-social care and legal advice
• safety-linked funding mechanisms
• interdisciplinary safety committees.

Universities must be legally required to conduct comprehensive annual safety audits through independent, accredited assessment bodies. They should evaluate physical infrastructure integrity and student housing conditions. Similarly, campus crime patterns, emergency response capabilities, and compliance with occupational health and safety standards. Audit reports must be publicly accessible within 30 days of completion.

The Department of Higher Education and Training should tie funding to campus safety performance.

Expertise in criminology and victimology should be part of safety planning processes at universities. They would bring evidence to the design of safety measures.

Students must also be involved in designing and overseeing safety strategies. Student committees, peer-led awareness campaigns, and direct input into campus policy are essential for building trust and driving action.

Written by Maasago M. Sepadi, PhD in public health, Tshwane University of Technology and Martha Chadyiwa, Associate Professor of Public Health , Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

THE CONVERSATION

By Charmaine Ndlela

Learners from Ndamase Senior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape and Kopanong Senior Secondary School in Mpumalanga have been named joint winners of South Africa’s 14th Annual National Schools Moot Court Competition.

The final round of the competition was held on Sunday at the Constitutional Court in Braamfontein.

The two teams argued before Constitutional Court and High Court judges in a mock appeal that tested their understanding of constitutional rights and the limits of language-based school admissions.

The 2025 case centred on the fictional learner Thando Khumalo, a gifted 12-year-old denied admission to two Afrikaans-medium high schools because she was not fluent in the language.

Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Andries Nel, delivering the keynote address, praised the finalists as “constitutional custodians of tomorrow”.

He said the competition had evolved into “a national movement” since its launch in 2011 and had already produced lawyers, magistrates, activists and public servants across the country.

“You have not merely studied the Constitution; you have interrogated it and wielded it with conviction,” Nel told the courtroom.

“The Constitution is not something abstract and theoretical, but has a very real and very direct impact on the daily lives of people.”

More than 900 Grade 9 learners entered this year’s competition, which began eight months ago with essay submissions. From 180 teams that qualified, 36 reached the national rounds, culminating in Sunday’s final before Chief Justice Mandisa Maya and Gauteng Acting Judge President Audrey Ledwaba, and others.

Professor Tshepo Madlingozi of the South African Human Rights Commission opened proceedings by thanking the Departments of Basic Education and Justice for their long-standing partnership.

“It has not been easy, yet we persevere because we believe deeply in the cause of growing the next generation of social justice and human-rights warriors,” he said.

He hailed all four finalist schools – Brebner High (Free State), Kgomotso High (Northern Cape), Ndamase Secondary (Eastern Cape) and Kopanong Senior (Mpumalanga) – for their dedication.

Johanna Mashego of Kopanong Senior Secondary was named Best Oralist of 2025, while Ndamase’s Asisipho Sebeni and Sandisiwe Nompetsheni impressed judges with their arguments on equality and education rights.

Nel said the learners’ submissions showed “intellectual rigour and moral clarity”, invoking precedent and the Bill of Rights to defend inclusivity in schools

He linked the moot’s theme to the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, describing it as “an act of transformative constitutionalism” that promotes multilingualism and strengthens accountability. “Robust debate, public participation and active citizenry are features of a healthy democracy,” he said

Nel also urged ongoing investment in teacher development, curriculum reform and technology to build an education system that is “future-ready”.

“Education is not just a policy – it is a promise,” he said. “A promise to every learner that their potential matters; a promise to every teacher that their work is life-changing.”

Nel urged the students to carry the lessons of the moot into their communities. “The Constitution is not argued and defended only in courts – it is lived in every decision we make, in every policy we write, and every child we choose to include,” he said.

“There are many children like Thando in our country and we owe it to them to uphold the constitutional right to education and put the best interests of the child first.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has declared the province fully ready to administer the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations and to begin placing learners for the 2026 academic year.

Speaking ahead of the exam season, Chiloane said the department’s preparations were “complete and credible”, with all 1,040 examination centres audited, compliant, and staffed with trained invigilators and monitors.

“Our systems are ready, our officials are prepared, and our learners have been supported through every possible intervention. We are confident that Gauteng will once again deliver credible results that reflect the hard work of our teachers and learners,” Chiloane said.

The NSC exams will begin next week Tuesday, and conclude on 27 November.

This year, a total of 192,745 candidates have registered to write, 144,246 full-time and 48,499 part-time, marking a six percent increase in full-time enrolments compared to 2024.

Chiloane said the rise reflected growing confidence in the public schooling system and a commitment to ensuring that every learner has the opportunity to complete their basic education.

The MEC praised the Class of 2024 for achieving an 88.41 percent pass rate, with 66,979 bachelor passes, the province’s highest number since 1996, and expressed confidence that this year’s cohort would go even further.

“We have set ourselves a target of reaching a 90 percent pass rate, and preliminary assessments show that we are on course. The Class of 2025 has shown resilience and discipline, and we believe they will rise to the occasion,” he said.

Chiloane attributed the province’s continued academic improvement to a mix of targeted support programmes and innovative digital learning platforms. Initiatives such as the Secondary School Improvement Programme (SSIP), High Flyer interventions, and live broadcast lessons have provided learners with extensive academic support.

“Through these programmes, we ensure that no learner is left behind, especially those in underperforming schools and communities facing service delivery challenges,” he said.

He noted that the department would continue to offer daily revision sessions under the Just-in-Time programme during the examination period to help learners consolidate their knowledge before each paper.

Turning to exam integrity, Chiloane said additional chief invigilators and monitors had been deployed to large examination centres, while new security mechanisms were in place to prevent irregularities, including paper leaks.

He urged candidates to arrive early at their centres, follow all screening procedures, and avoid bringing prohibited items such as cellphones or smartwatches into exam rooms.

“Cheating is not only unethical, it can destroy your future. Learners found guilty of dishonesty face having their results nullified and being barred from writing for up to three years,” he warned.

All candidates will sign the NSC Pledge next week Friday, committing themselves to the Examination Code of Conduct.

Chiloane also appealed to parents and communities to create a peaceful environment for learners during this period.

“We urge parents to provide emotional support and to ensure learners have quiet spaces to study. Communities must avoid protests or disruptions near schools, as even a single missed paper can set a learner back an entire year,” he said.

The marking process will take place between 16 November and 12 December, with the national release of results set for 12 January 2026 and the provincial release the following day.

Learners will be able to collect their statements of results from their schools on 13 January.

Chiloane reminded learners who missed the Life Orientation Common Assessment Task in September to attend the rewrite scheduled for 14 October, warning that those who do not complete it this year will only qualify to write again in September 2026.

The MEC also confirmed that the department is ready to begin the placement phase for the 2026 online admissions cycle on Thursday, 16 October.

During the application period between 24 July and 29 August, the GDE received more than 820,000 applications from over 358,000 unique users.

Chiloane explained that placement offers would be issued via SMS on a rolling basis from 16 October and urged parents to accept offers within seven school days to avoid losing their preferred placements.

He emphasised that placement decisions are guided by proximity and family connections to schools rather than the order in which applications were submitted.

To accommodate high demand, the department has deployed 786 mobile classrooms to 223 schools across the province, particularly in high-pressure areas such as Johannesburg South, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.

He encouraged parents to resolve any placement disputes through the established objection and appeal processes, which the department has pledged to handle within prescribed timeframes.

Chiloane ended with declaring his department’s confidence and pride as the province enters this critical period for both examinations and admissions, calling on the class of 2025 to stay focused, disciplined and believing in their potential.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Akani Nkuna 

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has pledged to introduce measures aimed at reducing teachers’ administrative workloads, allowing them to focus more on their core mandate of teaching and ensuring their energy is not diverted to non-instructional duties.

Speaking at the 25th National Teaching Awards (NTA) on Thursday at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, Gwarube told delegates — including some of the country’s top educators, government officials, and learners — that consultations were underway with the relevant council to reassign certain administrative tasks to teaching assistants and school administrative staff.

“Yet too often their time is consumed by non-instructional administrative tasks that divert energy away from teaching. Reducing non-instructional admin is not about lowering accountability – it is about respecting teachers as professionals and giving them back the time to teach our learners,” said Gwarube.

The minister emphasised the point of streamlining reporting and removing “low value” tasks.

She further advocated for thorough use of technological innovations to enable faster and smarter compliance that is not prone to disruptions. 

Gwarube also underscored the importance of strengthening foundational education to foster the culture of literacy and numeracy, saying that the government has undertaken to expand the Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes to accommodate children within a larger scale.

This comes after the Thrive by Five Index showed that children who were excluded from the programme “fell behind with their cognitive and physical development,” she said, and that the department has set itself an ambitious target to register 10 000 ECD centres by 31 December 2025.

“We are moving decisively on compulsory Grade R. Provinces are doing what they can with the resources available, while we work with the National Treasury to secure additional funding, to ensure that we roll out Grade R to all learners who require it,” Gwarube added.

During the awards ceremony, the Western Cape emerged as the top-performing province, claiming four Excellence Awards — in Special Needs Teaching, Life Skills (Grades 1–6), the My Teacher Ministerial Special Award, and Excellence in Teaching Physical Sciences.

Limpopo ranked second, taking home three awards, including Excellence in Teaching Mathematics, Excellence in Secondary School Teaching, and Excellence in Grade R Teaching.

The Eastern Cape was the only province without a top-spot winner, while KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Northern Cape, and Mpumalanga each secured one first-place position.

Motseki Mofokeng, long-serving teacher from Free State, was honoured with the Kader Asmal Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of more than three decades of dedicated service to education.

However, Mpumalanga’s Thulani Sibiya stood out as the overall winner, being crowned the 2025 National Best Teacher Award recipient.

Following his crowning, Sibiya told Inside Education that he was ecstatic to see his lifelong efforts finally recognised at a national level.

“I am so excited. And this is [belongs] to the whole province of Mpumalanga whom I am really proud to be their pride. This means so much to the province that they produced the best of the best educators in the whole country,” he said.

Sibiya expressed gratitude to his support structures, including Sophungane Secondary School, where he currently teaches, and Shinyukane Secondary School, where his teaching journey began.

INSIDE EDUCATION