The University of Fort Hare’s head of investigations and vetting services, Isaac Plaatjies, is set to appear in court for the murders of Vice-Chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu’s bodyguard and a fleet manager.
UPDATE: Following an appearance at the Dikeni Magistrate’s Court, the case was postponed to 13 December 2023. See the original story below.
University of Fort Hare head of investigations and vetting linked to serial murders
Plaatjies, the director of investigations and vetting services at the University of Fort Hare, was arrested by the SAPS national task team investigating murder and attempted murder cases at the university, per Daily Maverick.
He made a brief appearance in the Alice Magistrates’ Court on Monday and is scheduled for a follow-up appearance with other accused individuals, on Tuesday.
Plaatjies joins nine other individuals facing charges linked to a series of assassinations and attempted assassinations on campus.
These incidents occurred around the time of a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into allegations of abuse of state funds, fake degrees, and corruption at the university.
The list of accused includes a range of individuals from a COO at the university to a former SRC member, each with their unique background and alleged involvement in the crimes.
Most of the accused, including Bongani Peter and Sicelo Mbulawa, had their bail applications denied. Mbulawa successfully appealed the decision and was granted bail.
The investigation is ongoing, with Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale and National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola expected to attend the upcoming court proceedings. More arrests have not been ruled out.
The accused face multiple charges, including the murders of Mboneli Vesele and Petrus Roets, attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, fraud, kidnapping, and other charges. Vesele and Roets were killed in separate incidents in 2022.
Despite these troubling events, the University of Fort Hare has maintained academic and administrative excellence.
Ranking eighth in the country, the university recently received seven awards at the Marketing Advancement Communication in Education (MACE) awards, including the coveted MACE Research Award.