UNIVERSITY OF FORT HARE MURDER AND ATTEMPTED MURDER CASE POSTPONED
The Dikeni (formerly Alice) Magistrates’ Court has provisionally postponed the case against ten people charged with the murder of University of Fort Hare (UFH) fleet manager, Petrus Roets, and the university’s Vice-chancellor’s (VC) bodyguard, Richard Vesele, as well as the attempted murder of VC, Professor Sakhele Buhlungu and Deputy VC, Renuka Vithal, to 13 December 2023, pending the finalisation of the bail application by some of the accused.
Bongani Peter (51), Sicelo Mbulawa (28), Wanini Khuza (69), Mthobisi Khanyile (28), Mthobisi Dlamini (30), Lindokuhle Manjati (31), Zimele Chiliza (36), Phelisa Nkonyeni (31), Thamsanqa Mgotyana (47) and Isaac Plaatjies (29), all face two counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, reckless discharge of firearm, theft of a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. Peter, Mbulawa and Khuza are additionally charged with fraud.
It is alleged that after he was appointed UFH VC, Prof. Buhlungu discovered serious deals of maladministration, corruption, and fraud. He acted upon these discoveries and opened criminal cases as well as disciplinary proceedings against alleged culprits who occupied senior positions at the university. Consequently, he received threats of his life, leading to Vesele being appointed as his bodyguard. Vesele was killed in a hail of bullets on 06 January 2023. Before his killing two shooting incidents happened, the third being the murder of Roets on 19 May 2022, on the Gonubie entrance near East London.
Police investigations led to the arrest of the ten, who played different roles ranging from soliciting hitmen from KwaZulu Natal province, housing them, and transporting them to the scenes of the crimes. Mbulawa was granted R75 000 bail, while the state successfully opposed the granting of bail to alleged hitmen Khanyile and Dlamini, as well as policeman, Manjati. The bail applications of Peter and Khuza will proceed on 27 November 2023, while those of Chiliza, Nkonyeni, Mgotyani and Plaatjies are scheduled for 30 November and 01 December 2023.
