01/05/2026
Yesterday, the Nelson Mandela Bay District Youth Crime Prevention Desk stood shoulder to shoulder with students at the Security, Safety & Student Wellness Event hosted at Nelson Mandela University’s Bird Street Campus.
The turnout was overwhelming. Lecture halls filled with young people who came not just to listen, but to speak, to challenge, and to lead. Together with the University, the South African Police Service, and the Student Representative Council, Nelson Mandela Bay Pride, we confronted the realities students face daily: crime, fear, and the urgent need for safe spaces to learn and grow.
This was not a tick-box event. It was a declaration. A declaration that the safety of our students is non-negotiable. A declaration that young people are not just victims of crime, but powerful partners in preventing it. We spoke about inclusiveness, belonging, and the programs that can turn campuses into fortresses of opportunity, not fear.
To every student who filled the room: we see you, we hear you, and we are with you. To SAPS and NMU leadership: your commitment matters. To the SRC: your advocacy drives us.
This is the work of the Youth Crime Prevention Desk. We do not sit in offices. We are on the ground, in the halls, with the youth. Yesterday proved what happens when we unite. Nelson Mandela Bay will be safer because of it.
The work continues. The movement grows.