The news of the arrest at the weekend of the suspects in the murders of the University of Fort Hare employees is most welcome.
Fort Hare has down the years held pride of place as a pioneering African university that contributed to the development of this country and not least of all for its moulding of political leaders that eventually played immeasurable roles in the liberation of Southern African nations. It is a legacy that we as a nation cannot dare allow to be soiled by latter day shenanigans of those serving selfish interests.
The assassinations, including that of Petrus Roets, Fort Hare's fleet and transport manager last year May and that of Mboneli Vesele – the body guard of vice chancellor Prof Sakhele Buhlungu in January this year, have seen Fort Hare in the news for wrong reasons among which is the suspected selling of qualifications to senior politicians and other forms of corruption.
The hit on Vesele is believed to have been an attempt on the life of Buhlungu, who has been vocal and active against the eradication of corruption at Fort Hare.
A third murder believe to be related to the criminality at the university was that of an employee who was found gagged and lifeless at his flat in Alice.
The murders thrust the problem of the university into the attention of the nation, and with it an escalation of the investigation into the going-on at Fort Hare.
The Special Investigative Unit has been probing criminality in the awarding of honours and masters degrees, mismanagement of university funds and alleged irregular issuing of tenders related to cleaning and gardening services, student accommodation, installation, maintenance and repairs of air-conditioning on the university's buildings.
The five suspects arrested in the last few days on multiple charges of murder and attempted murder appeared briefly in the Alice magistrate's court yesterday and their case was postponed.
With the national police having been roped in to investigate the murders, interest in the Fort Hare murders has received attention which would explain the attendance of police minister Bheki Cele and national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola at the appearance of the five suspects yesterday.
We can only hope the presence of such eminent personalities in the matter lends it the gravita to sort out Fort Hare so that it can focus on what it does best and building on a great and proud legacy.
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