Student safety is a universal concern and requires all role players to actively address it.

This is the charge from the University of the Western Cape’s spokesperson, Gasant Abarder.

He was speaking after a 22-year-old UWC student was killed in an armed robbery on Saturday night.

The student was a resident at a private off-campus accommodation.

There has been a growing concern that universities are absolving themselves of their responsibilities by making use of privately administered residences.

But there is a growing shortage of housing for students.

In the case of UWC, students have lamented the lack of safety, and poor infrastructure of these facilities.

Abarder says that the growth in crime is a universal problem that needs a multifaceted approach.