Cape Town - A national task force that will focus on safety and security at institutions of higher learning will be established.
This was announced by Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande at a media briefing on Wednesday, at the University of Fort Hare (UFH), following a meeting with the institution’s Council.
He was joined by Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele, while Police Minister Bheki Cele and State Security Deputy Minister Zizi Kodwa were expected to arrive later in the evening.
This comes after vice-chancellor, Professor Sakhela Buhlungu’s executive protection officer, Mboneli Vesele was shot dead on Friday outside the professor's house, in an attempt to allegedly kill Buhlungu.
The meeting on Wednesday experienced delays as there seemed to be a fallout between disgruntled university executive management and the higher education department, with Fort Hare issuing a statement earlier that it would not be able to be part of the meeting as it was “in a state of mourning”.
Buhlungu is reported to have arrived at the engagements at a later stage.
“The University of Fort Hare has noted a media advisory issued by the Department of Higher Education promoting a visit by Dr Blade Nzimande to meet with the management executive committee (MEC) at our Alice campus today. The university emphasises again it is in a state of mourning. The MEC is attending to the needs of those affected by the death of a colleague.
“Furthermore, UFH security and protection services have expressed concerns about the MEC returning to campus before the institution’s more far-reaching and robust security programme is rolled out in the wake of the assassination plot against the vice-chancellor and the killing of Mr Vesele,” said UFH spokesperson JP Roodt.
Roodt said it was against this backdrop that the university’s MEC was not in a position to participate in discussions with the ministry.
“The university remains open to meetings next week after the conclusion of the funeral and memorial services, and once the new security protocols and programmes have been activated,” he said.
In an interview on Tuesday, Buhlungu questioned where the much-needed national government interventions and visits were last year, after suspects fired shots at his house and the house of another executive.
Fleet manager, Petrus Roets, was also assassinated in broad daylight.
Gungubele admitted that the government needed to do much more.
“A lot of work is being done around the safety and security of the VC.
“However Nzimande denied claims that the government has not been doing enough over the last months after the VC publicly pleaded with President Ramaphosa to assist in safety and security matters at the university.
“Over the last few years, of all the universities we have given a lot of attention to, the University of Fort Hare is one. So no one should claim we have not done enough to work with the university. I remain outraged by this inhumane act and strongly condemn it. I however remain confident that the police will go very deep to investigate the full circumstances and find the perpetrators of this heinous act,” he said.
Giving feedback after discussions with Council, Nzimande said they agreed on short, medium and long-term measures.
“We all agreed that we need to have a smooth start to the academic year. On our side as the department, we will do a close monitoring of the entire sector but with a focus on some particular institutions, including Fort Hare.
There is a need to focus on safety and security, not just for this university but in the entire higher education sector, so we agreed that a national task force will be formed by the department,” said Nzimande.
Cape Times