Bheki Cele to attend court as 15 people appear over University of Fort Hare murders, attempted murders

Police Minister Bheki Cele is expected to attend court proceedings of the accused in the University of Fort Hare murders. Picture: Jacques Naude / Independent Newspapers

Police Minister Bheki Cele is expected to attend court proceedings of the accused in the University of Fort Hare murders. Picture: Jacques Naude / Independent Newspapers

Published Apr 2, 2024

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Fifteen people arrested in connection with the murder and attempted murder cases at the University of Fort Hare are expected to appear in court on Tuesday morning.

Police Minister Bheki Cele as well as national police commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola will attend court proceedings.

National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the total number of people that have been arrested to date is 25.

“The suspects were arrested in various provinces over the Easter weekend including, Gauteng, the Eastern and Western Cape, as well as KwaZulu-Natal.

“The 15 suspects face a string of charges ranging from fraud, corruption, kidnapping, murder and attempted murder.”

The suspects will line up in the Dimbaza Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape.

Commenting on the arrests, Masemola said: “The team has been hard at work in getting to the bottom of who is behind fraud, corruption and the murders at the university.

“They will continue to investigate and hunt those who are found to have had a hand in any wrongdoing.

“Our focus is to bring before court, a case that will be able to stand in court with all the evidence that has been collected by the team.”

In November, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande said the arrest of the University of Fort Hare’s (UFH) head of investigations and vetting services, Isaac Plaatjies, may be an indication that challenges at the institution were deeper than meets the eye.

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