A chemistry professor was bludgeoned on the head while working in his University of Cape Town (UCT) office on Wednesday afternoon, the Cape Times reported.
Its website said on Thursday three people entered the office of Mino Caira in the PD Hahn building shortly after lunch. Staff heard his screams, rushed to his office and found Caira lying on the floor and bleeding profusely from the head.
He was taken to the Vincent Pallotti Hospital, where he was said to be in a stable condition.
Campus security apprehended two people within minutes of the attack, said UCT spokesperson Gerda Kruger.
Security guards responded to a call from a staff member who alerted campus patrols to be on the lookout for two ”suspicious-looking” people.
”We are confident they were connected with the attack.”
Kruger said three people had walked into Caira’s office, and he got the impression that they had a student-related inquiry.
”But when they addressed him aggressively, Caira reportedly suggested that they go to the science department.”
The trio left the office, but one of them returned and assaulted the professor. It is not known what object was used to hit Caira or whether he was seated when struck.
Kruger said Caira was ”recuperating”, but having ”precautionary” x-rays and tests.
”He is out of danger.”
Police spokesperson Billy Jones said Caira also had scratches on his face, left arm and leg.
He confirmed that a 56-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman had been taken into custody for questioning.
The attack was the second in as many years on the campus. In January last year, mathematics professor Brian Hahn was assaulted with an umbrella and kicked in the face.
He suffered a stroke a day after the attack and died eight days later.
Two policemen killed
In an unrelated incident, two policemen were killed when attending to a false assault complaint at a house in Langa, Cape Town on Wednesday night.
Superintendent Billy Jones said the officers, aged 37 and 32, were returning to their car when they were shot in the heads.
The policemen were then robbed of their service pistols. No arrests have been made and police suspect robbery as the motive of the attack, Jones said. – Sapa