The police have finally made a breakthrough in the case of two University of Fort Hare staffers killed last year.
National police spokesperson, Colonel Athlenda Mathe, on Monday confirmed the police have arrested five people in connection with their investigations at UFH.
The five are due to appear in court on Tuesday facing two cases of murder, three cases of attempted murder and one case of fraud and corruption.
"At least five suspects will appear tomorrow [Tuesday] at the Alice magistrate’s court onf attempted murder, murder and other cases related to Fort Hare. The minister of police General Bheki Cele and the national police commissioner [Lieutenant General Fannie Masemola] will be in attendance,” said Mathe.
UFH vice chancellor Prof Sakhela Buhlungu was also expected to meet Masemola for a briefing.
The investigation into the UFH deaths was taken over by the national police in 2022.
One victim is Petrus Roets, the university’s fleet and transport manager, who was shot dead in a suspected contract hit near the traffic lights at the Gonubie off-ramp on the N2 in May 2022.
Roets was said to be on his way from the university’s Dikeni campus at the time. He was shot by two gunmen, who fled the scene.
Previously the university has reported cyber hacks and breaches.
A source close to the investigation and speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Daily Dispatch the killing of Roets had involved supplying the hitmen with details of a satellite tracking device installed in Roets’ university vehicle. This allowed the killers to pinpoint his location.
Late last year, Buhlungu’s bodyguard, Mboneli Vesele, was shot dead outside his house in Dikeni, in a murder that sent shockwaves through Fort Hare as it was believed to have been a planned hit on Buhlungu.
UFH spokesperson JP Roodt last month issued a statement saying a former employee at the university had been arrested with illegal firearms in a sting operation.
At the time provincial police spokesperson Majola Nkohli declined to comment, saying the matter was being handled nationally, a comment that suggested the arrest was linked to investigations into the shootings at the institution.
Buhlungu has been vocal about getting rid of corruption at the institution, including preventing it from issuing suspect qualifications to politically aligned individuals.
The Dispatch previously reported that the Special Investigating Unit was investigating maladministration in the awarding of honours degrees, mismanagement of funds and a probe into four 2012 tenders.
The tenders include cleaning and gardening contracts, student accommodation contracts, and maintenance & repair of air conditioning contracts.
An insider in the justice & law enforcement space confirmed to the Dispatch that more than two people were due to appear in court on Tuesday.
The insider was thin on details but said one of the suspects was a “big fish” at the institution.
The Dispatch previously reported that fear was rife at the institution after the shootings claimed the two lives.
We further reported on mysterious attacks targeting senior UFH officials, with the Dikeni homes of Buhlungu and another senior official being fired at by gunmen in March.
Another senior official’s East London home was also attacked by gunmen on April 1 in 2022.
In a statement on Monday, Roodt confirmed the arrests.
“The University of Fort Hare was made aware of significant breakthroughs in relation to the arrest of several suspects in the murder and assassination cases of two of our employees.
“The warrants for arrest of several suspects were executed during the Easter weekend.“We believe that this includes the arrest of UFH employees.
“The vice-chancellor, Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, will receive a full briefing from the office of the national police minister,” Roodt told the Dispatch.
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