Cape Town - The University of Fort Hare (UFH) remains on a knife-edge as another employee’s life was recently threatened after he was found in his flat with his hands tied and mouth covered with tape.
While police did not associate the latest incident with previous attacks on UFH employees, it comes on the back of the murder of UFH vice-chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu’s protector, Mboneli Vesele.
Vesele was killed in a hail of bullets outside Buhlungu’s Alice residence on January 6.
The attack happened after the bodyguard had dropped off the vice-chancellor.
In another incident last year, UFH fleet manager Petrus Roets was killed in broad daylight and the houses of executive staff members, including Buhlungu’s, were shot at.
Police Minister Bheki Cele has since set up a multidisciplinary team in the province to investigate the recent incidents.
While a case of attempted murder is under investigation in the latest incident, no arrests have been made.
“Police opened a case of attempted murder ... after a 32-year-old UFH employee was found in his flat with his hands tied and mouth covered with stickytape yesterday,” Eastern Cape police spokesperson Tembinkosi Kinana said.
“According to reports, the victim’s absence was noticed by his colleagues after he didn’t report at work. They then went to investigate the flat, where they eventually found him. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical care after they noticed that he wasn’t well.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are currently under investigation. A case of attempted murder has been registered for investigation.”
According to Kinana, police didn’t relate or associate this incident with previous attacks which were reported and associated with UFH employees.
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande said he was confident police would go “very deep” into investigating the full circumstances of the crimes and finding the perpetrators.
“We’re going to form a national task force that will focus on safety and security in our institutions at a systemic level. We want to say to the criminals who are wanting to take over our institutions: They won’t win ... we are very determined.
“I want to assure the University of Fort Hare and all our institutions of higher learning that my ministry will continue to work with you and support all initiatives aimed at fighting the scourge of corruption, maladministration and gender-based violence and femicide,” said Nzimande.
The University of Fort Hare confirmed that the staff member would be discharged from hospital on Friday.
The employee is an electrician, works in the Maintenance Department and resides off campus where the incident took place.
The institution said its wellness unit would provide psychosocial support and has been and will be in further contact with the employee once he is discharged, later today.
"The University is uncertain about the reason(s) for the home invasion and incident, and whether the crime was motivated by work related or non-work-related factors – this can only be determined once investigations have been completed by the authorities.
UFH said: "The recent spate of terror attacks against the University are not against students or non-managerial or academic staff, but are generally directed against senior University executives, senior aides to the Vice-Chancellor and managers in non-academic / support function portfolios with large capital expenditure budgets prone to criminal infestation.
"Based on the above, it is extremely unlikely that the incident is connected with the failed assassination attempt on the Vice-Chancellor and the murder of two employees last year and earlier this month."
The university added that family has asked for privacy during this time.
Anyone with information about the incident can anonymously contact Crime Stop on 0860010111 or use the MySAPS mobile app.
Cape Times