Mboneli Vesele, the bodyguard of University of Fort Hare (UFH) vice-chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, was shot dead on Friday night in what was suspected to be an assassination attempt.
University spokesman JP Roodt said the shooting happened outside the vice chancellor’s Alice home. Your spine is not injured, he added.
The vice chancellor’s car was full of bullets
Roodt said Vesele was in the vice chancellor’s car at the time of the shooting.
“Executive protection officer and security assistant Professor Sakhela Buhlungu was killed after shots were fired and sprayed at the vice chancellor’s university vehicle,” he said.
“Shots were heard several kilometers away from another member of the executive staff who lived in the Alice staff village.”
Buhlungu was taken to a ‘safe location’
After the shooting, Buhlungu was moved from the vice-chancellor’s house.
“The Vice Chancellor was unharmed, survived the assassination attempt and is in a safe location.”
The University of Fort Hare said it was aware that photos and videos of the bullet-riddled vehicle were circulating on social media. It encourages people not to share this
“Out of respect for Mr. Vesele and his family, and to preserve their dignity, we ask that the UFH community not distribute these visuals.”
The university management requested that trauma and counseling services be provided to Vesele’s family. It will also be available to students and staff.
Also read: Woman suspected of stabbing UFH student to death arrested and charged with murder
A couple of violent attacks
This is not the first attempt to kill Buhlungu.
In March 2022, a man was recorded on CCTV footage climbing a wall and shooting three people at Buhlungu’s house.
Speaking to TimesLIVE, Roodt said UFH has faced a number of violent attacks recently after the university cracked down on corruption.
“Last year, shots were fired at the house of the deputy vice-chancellor for teaching and learning, Prof Renuka Vithal,” he said.
On May 19, the university’s fleet and transport manager, Petrus Roets, was shot dead in a suspected hit-and-run near the Gonubie off-ramp.
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