By Zukile Majova
Political Editor
The University of Fort Hare has confirmed that another of its employees was killed in a hit-and-run accident on Sunday.
Vice-chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu’s bodyguard was going to the main campus in Alice when a bakkie rammed into his vehicle with force.
Security guards who witnessed the accident said when the driver of the bakkie could not escape in his damaged vehicle, he fled the scene on foot.
The guards gave chase, arrested the suspect, and took him to the King Williams Town Police Station.
The bodyguard is understood to have been a key witness in the murder trial of five people charged with killing two staff members from the university earlier this year.
The five who are accused of masterminding attacks on university staff — killing the institution’s vehicle fleet manager and Professor Buhlungu’s bodyguard — are due to apply for bail on Thursday.
In February, an attempt on Professor Buhlungu’s life ended in the death of his bodyguard, Mboneni Vesele, who was shot and killed in the professor’s car.
Petrus Roets, the fleet manager, was shot and killed in March, and there were also a number of attempted assassinations of other university staff members. Professor Buhlungu said at least three of the five suspects had strong links with the university.
“It’s no secret that Mr Bongani Peter (one of the accused) was the fleet officer at Fort Hare. He is on suspension for corruption and also being held for both murders. He worked for the university.
“And for us, it is a shame that one of our own who gets paid by the university, who has a job, who has responsibilities, has allegedly not only been stealing and siphoning money from the fleet department but also planning murder,” said the vice-chancellor.
One of the accused is a former student representative council (SRC) member turned businessman who is a service provider to the university, the police said. The third accused with links to the university retired four years ago but was re-employed by Peter as a part-time driver for the vice-chancellor.
Pictured above: Five suspects appear at Alice Magistrate’s Court on April 11th
Image source: @LirandzuThemba
