Fort Hare University attacks escalating police response

Following a visit to the region on Wednesday, 11 January, the police are escalating their response to the recent violent and tragic attacks at Fort Hare University.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) is implementing heightened policing actions to identify those responsible for a spate of attacks on university workers that have taken two lives.

Establishment of a multidisciplinary team to investigate attacks against university personnel.
A multidisciplinary team has been assembled to thoroughly study the pattern of threats against the institution’s employees.

This comes after the National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola, the Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele, and the Deputy Minister of State Security, Zizi Kodwa, visited the province on Wednesday, 11 January.

The team, which will report directly to the office of the National Commissioner, is expected to begin its investigation into the murder of Mboneni Vesele over the weekend.

Vesele was the vice chancellor of Fort Hare University, Sakhela Buhlungu’s close guardian and driver. He was murdered while riding in the Professor’s automobile.

The investigative team’s emphasis will also extend to past attempted attacks on university personnel.

This includes the shooting killing of Fort Hare University’s fleet manager Petrus Roets in March of last year.

According to Minister Cele, this level of participation is necessary and a prerequisite for success.

“It is evident that the local police are not working quickly enough to make arrests, and this newly established National team must send a strong message to criminals that this government will not be threatened or swayed and will not back down or co-govern with criminals through its work.” Cele stated.

The multidisciplinary team will include of detectives, forensic analysts, criminal intelligence, participants in organized crime, and officials from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI).

The family of Vesele was visited by a high-level delegation of security cluster ministers and SAPS management.

The group also met with the Vice Chancellor of Fort Hare University, Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, who expressed his appreciation for the national office’s increased police response to combat and investigate crime on campus.