Staff Reporter.
Police Minister Bheki Cele says they are intensifying their response to the recent violent and fatal attacks that have taken place at Fort Hare University.
This comes after the assassination attempt on the university’s vice-chancellor, Sakhela Buhlungu.
Buhlungu’s bodyguard Mboneli Vesele was shot dead on Friday night by assailants who were in a vehicle near Buhlungu’s Alice campus residence.
Cele, Higher Education and Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande, Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele as well as State Security Deputy Minister Zizi Kodwa visited the university.
He said a multi-disciplinary team has been established to investigate the pattern of threats on the lives of the staff members of the institution.
Cele added that the high-level intervention was necessary and “must produce results”.
“It is quite clear that the local police are just not working fast enough in making arrests and this newly established National Team through its work, must send a strong message to criminals that this government will not be threatened or shaken and will certainly not back down or co-govern with criminals,” said Cele.
The multi-disciplinary team will include detectives, forensic analysts, crime intelligence, members of organised crime and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI).
“As we start the academic year, we can’t afford to have anyone, be it a student, a lecturer and even a groundsman or cleaner of this institution feel uneasy about their safety. This is why the team must work closely with university staff and the intelligence community to crack the cases that will see the culprits go to jail.
“This, I am sure will guarantee that this respected institution is not turned into a killing field,” said the Minister.
The high-level team of security cluster ministers and the SAPS management also paid a visit to Vesele’s bereaved family.