File
The University of Fort Hare says there will be a security shake-up following the murder of a third-year student by his peers at their Dikeni Campus over the weekend.
The Bachelor of Science in Agriculture student is alleged to have been attacked on Saturday after being accused of stealing a peer’s laptop among other items.
The university has not released the identity of the young man, however, six students have been arrested in connection with the attack and fatal stabbing.
Fort Hare spokesperson JP Roodt says senior management will also hold hearings against their security, wardens, including staff members to understand how the murder occurred on campus and why security was not patrolling.
The University SRC in a statement condemned the “tragic and violent killing of the student who was identified and undergoing judicial processes for theft on campus.”
They raised concerns about the security response during the incident, asking the university administration to tighten security measures to prevent such incidents from happening going forward.
Meanwhile, Roodt said they cannot rule out the existence of a so-called “shadow economy” where electronic devices are stolen and sold on what the ‘black market’.
The six students were arrested and appeared in the Magistrates Court in Dikeni, formerly Alice, on Thursday and have also been suspended pending internal disciplinary hearings.
They are aged between 21 and 25 and are expected to apply for bail on 23 October.
