UP: Robbed students receiving counselling
The University of Pretoria says students who were robbed at gunpoint in Mamelodi are receiving counselling.
The 19 students and two professors were conducting an outreach programme at the Viva Foundation School, when they were attacked by an armed group in broad daylight.
A task team has been appointed to arrest the suspects involved in the robbery.
"The university regrets and condemns the unfortunate criminality we are actually quite shocked by it,” says the university's spokesperson Thami Mthembu.
ALSO READ:Tshwane condemns robbery of international students
"In the meantime, we would like to claim that the people involved in the incident have been taken through trauma counselling.
"But through our intervention and the counselling that has been involved and be able to render, our understanding that there is a little bit of calm, they are calm, they are worried about a few things but we are working hand-in-hand with the police and hand in hand with the department of home affairs and Dirco and so on to ensure that we try to ease the situation."
He adds that the department hopes the students will be returning in the future.
"We are going to ensure that the country does not go into disrepute. We are going to try and undo the situation including we are going to try and reassure them that it South Africa is in fact still a safe country and it’s still a country they can come back to make a contribution.”
LISTEN HERE: