BREAKING | Five Fort Hare assassination accused named in court

Five men, including two former University of Fort Hare employees, a former SRC member and two alleged hitmen from KwaZulu-Natal, will apply for bail in May.

The accused, Bongani Peter, Sicelo Mbulawa, Wanini Khuza, Mthobisi Khanyile and Mthobisi Zando/Dlamini, appeared in the Alice magistrate’s court on Tuesday facing charges a string of charges including the murders of Mboneli Vesele and Petrus Roets who were gunned down in a space of less than a year.

Bongani Peter is a former fleet officer who was suspended by the university over charges of fraud and corruption, the Dispatch was told. Khuza retired from the university four years ago, while Mbulawa is a former SRC member.

Peter faces charges for the murder of Roets and Vesele, the attempted murders of Buhlungu, Professor Vithal, and Nozuko Mabombo; and fraud and corruption.

Mbulawa, Khuza, and Khanyile face charges for the murders of Vesele and Roets, corruption, and fraud. Dlamini/Zondo faces charges for the murder of Roets, Vesele, attempted murders of Buhlungu, Professor Vithal, Nozuko Mabombo, and fraud and corruption.

They were arrested over the weekend in connection with the murders of vice-chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu’s bodyguard Mboneli Vesele and fleet manager Petrus Roets. Roets was gunned down in March last year and Vesele was gunned down in January.

The gallery included police minister Bheki Cele, police commissioner Fannie Masemola, university vice-chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu and, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Xolile Nqatha, with heavily armed police officers inside and outside the court.

The accused will be back in the dock on May 4 for their bail bid. They remain in police custody.

DispatchLIVE