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Higher Education Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, said a National Task Force would be established following the latest assassination attempt on the Vice Chancellor of Fort Hare University, Professor Sakhela Buhlungu.
His bodyguard and driver, Mbonele Vesele, died when gunmen opened fire on the VC's official car on the campus last Friday night. Professor Buhlungu was not in the vehicle at the time.
Speaking at Fort Hare on Wednesday, Minister Nzimande said the aim of the Task Force would be to provide a coordinated approach at all institutions in dealing with safety and security matters at university and college campuses.
He said the Task Force should also have a structured relationship with the security cluster in order to deal with security problems at institutions.
Minister Nzimande this decision was taken at a meeting of the Fort Hare University Council, worker leadership, and the SRC.
“What we agreed with Council is that we need focussed attention on issues of safety and security, not just at Fort Hare, but in the entire higher education sector.”
“We agreed that we are going to form a national task force by the Department, working with Universities and Colleges that will focus on safety and security in institutions on a systemic level,” Minister Nzimande said.
He said the Department was engaging with a number of institutions on security matters.
Meanwhile, the Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gunguble and the Police Minister Bheki Cele were also in Dikeni (formerly Alice) where they had an engagement with the Vesele family.
