Five University Of Fort Hare Students Arrested For Alleged Murder

Five students from the University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape are expected to appear at the Alice magistrate’s court on Monday. The arrests were made in connection with the alleged murder of a fellow student at the institution on Saturday.

The deceased, a 21-year-old male student, tragically lost his life in the incident. The circumstances surrounding the incident are currently under investigation.

According to Fort Hare University spokesperson JP Roodt, the incident took place in the early hours of Saturday morning. Witnesses reported that an altercation broke out at the Disco nightclub in Alice and later escalated on campus.

Following the incident, the university launched a full investigation, which will be presented to the senior management on Monday. The institution also reported the case to the Alice police station.

Eastern Cape police spokesperson W/O Majola Nkohli confirmed that five suspects, aged between 22 and 25, have been arrested in connection with the murder. The police responded swiftly to the incident.

If the suspects are registered UFH students, the university will issue precautionary suspension notices to them prior to their formal disciplinary hearings. This will result in their immediate evacuation from the campus and their residences.

UFH has taken steps to inform the next of kin of the deceased student, with a delegation meeting them on Sunday. The university’s student counselling unit is also providing psychosocial support to students and staff affected by the tragedy.

As more details become available over the next few days, the university will continue to share information with the public.