A stampede-hit TVET college in Limpopo will now move their registration process to the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Monday, after two would-be students were hospitalised and several more injured. The injuries were sustained in the crush of students attempting to register at Capricorn TVET College.
According to News24, a large number of students had gathered outside the campus building, waiting for the gates to open in order to register, when the stampede took place. HuffPost spoke to the public relations officer at Capricorn TVET College to get an update on the developing story.
"We have suspended registration for the new students, and will be starting again on Monday at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. The returning students [resume registration] tomorrow," Tumelo Morobe said.
"We had a meeting with the stakeholders, EFF people were also here, as well as the SAPS [South African Police Service] and security. We are going to analyse Monday's venue –– if there is a need for more security personnel, we will call for more."
According to recent tweets, some of the students caught in the stampede had been camping out at the college since the late hours of Wednesday. The cause of the stampede is still unknown.
Despite the stampede, Morobe said the college was expecting the large numbers who arrived. "We anticipated the large groups, because registration started today, unlike other institutions that started [on] Monday."
"Some of them were not admitted, so they flocked to the institution to try and get a place", Morobe said. News24 reported that a hit-and-run case has been opened after a motorist ran over two student hopefuls at the college.
"A motorist driving a white Mercedes-Benz... ran into two applicants walking in the vicinity of the college, seriously injuring one of them," the police statement read.
Police have been at the college since this morning following the stampede. Latest reports indicate that six people between the ages of 19 and 26 were injured in total.