A record of what is happening at one of South Africa's most historically significant universities — assembled so the basics are legible in one place, with the primary documents attached.
A short, plain-language summary of the situation as of 18 August 2026. Claims below are marked confirmed where they are on the public record and uncontested, or claimed where a party asserts them and others dispute or have not confirmed them.
The University of Fort Hare — founded in 1916 and one of the oldest universities in Southern Africa — is in a prolonged governance crisis centred on its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sakhela Buhlungu.
confirmed On 31 March 2026 the University Council placed Buhlungu on precautionary suspension, on full pay, pending a disciplinary hearing, over alleged "irregularities in the appointment processes of two Executive Directors." The suspension notice was signed by Council chair Dr Siyanda Makaula. Dr Nthabiseng Taole-Mjimba was appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor.
confirmed The forensic audit into those appointments (by Morar Incorporated Auditors) found no evidence of fraud, corruption or intentional misconduct — describing the problem as a procedural lapse from outdated policies, and recommending remedial fixes. The report itself has not been made public.
contested Buhlungu's supporters say he reported the appointment breach to Council himself and sought a remedy, and that the suspension is disproportionate and politically motivated — part of a backlash against his anti-corruption drive. The university and Council maintain that serious governance allegations required a formal, fair disciplinary process.
confirmed The crisis has widened. The former interim Council chair Kuselwa Marala and interim deputy chair Judith Favish resigned on 30 July 2026 after being served with disciplinary charges they describe as politically motivated. A further Council member, Sathie Gounden, resigned on 17 August 2026 citing governance concerns. On 14 August 2026 the Student Representative Council complained to Parliament, and the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education has asked the Council chair to respond within seven working days.
confirmed The backdrop is grave: two university staff connected to the anti-corruption work — fleet manager Petrus Roets (2022) and the VC's bodyguard Mboneli Vesele (2023) — were murdered; the 2023 killing is treated as a likely attempt on the VC's life. A Special Investigating Unit probe into roughly two decades of alleged fraud is under way, with a final report expected around 30 September 2026. Campus buildings were destroyed by arson in October 2025.
The timeline below sets these events out in order; the document library holds the primary sources.
From Buhlungu's appointment through the 2026 suspension and Council resignations. Some earlier dates are approximate to the month; where a claim is contested, the note says so.
An internationally recognised sociologist, appointed to lead a university beset by governance failures, weak audits and staff shortages.
Early years marked by protests. Buhlungu begins an anti-corruption programme — investigating tender irregularities, ghost workers and fraudulent qualifications — putting him in conflict with entrenched interests.
Amid a factional bid to unseat the reforming VC, Minister Naledi Pandor dissolves the Council and places UFH under administration (Government Gazette, 29 April 2019), citing "maladministration and serious undermining of the effective functioning of the university." Prof. Loyiso Nongxa is appointed administrator; Buhlungu remains in office and is cleared in an independent investigation later that year.
A 22-member Council is inducted (24–26 Nov 2020), with Kuselwa Marala and Judith Favish among the members. Its first chair is Bishop Ivan Abrahams; leadership later passes via Dr Siphokazi Koyana (acting) to Prof. Lungisile Ntsebeza.
Roets is gunned down in Gonubie. He had halted pending payments to service providers as part of the anti-corruption clampdown; the murder is linked to the university's fleet network.
Criminal matter before the courts — reported facts only.
The Special Investigating Unit opens an investigation into tenders, contracts and degree programmes, including collusion between officials and service providers.
Vesele is shot dead at Buhlungu's residence in Dikeni (Alice), in what police believe was a missed hit on the Vice-Chancellor. Buhlungu is moved to a safe location.
Criminal matter before the courts — reported facts only.
Multiple suspects are charged through 2023; in November a university director of vetting and investigations is arrested as the alleged mastermind said to have drawn up a "hit list."
Charges are allegations; the accused are presumed innocent unless convicted.
President Ramaphosa authorises a widened SIU investigation covering roughly two decades (2004–2024): irregular admissions and degrees, misused student allowances, infrastructure and security contracts, and unlawful appointments.
As the 2020 Council's four-year term ends and a new Council is assembled, Marala and Favish — members since 2020 — take over as interim office-bearers, succeeding chair Prof. Lungisile Ntsebeza. The transition is turbulent: a fellow member resigns and threatens litigation the same month.
Contested/inferred: the precise trigger (term expiry vs. reconstitution) is well-inferred from the dates but not stated in a single source.
Seven buildings — including laboratories — are set alight; students demand the VC's resignation. Buhlungu calls the protests "sponsored." The arson remains unsolved. A charge later laid against Marala & Favish dates here: a 29 Oct 2025 letter to the Minister about a proposed ministerial appointee to Council.
Dr Siyanda Makaula is appointed Council chair (announced 28 Nov 2025). In January 2026 the university announces four new ministerial appointees — Dr Yoliswa Mancotywa (who becomes Deputy Chair), Adv. Monnapula Motlogelwa, Dr Emma Molobi and Ms Buyelwa Thunyiswa. Marala and Favish revert to ordinary members.
Contested: the university frames the appointees as bringing expertise in "law, engineering, project delivery and strategic leadership"; critics say the reconstitution shifted Council's balance toward members with provincial political ties. It is this reconstituted Council that suspends the VC weeks later.
At a special sitting on 19 March 2026, the VC reports the executive-director appointment breach and proposes a remedy; Council resolves to launch legal and forensic investigations. A 20 March letter notifies Buhlungu of the forensic outcome and invites his written representations.
Contested: supporters cite this as evidence he self-disclosed; the university's charge sheet frames the appointments as unlawful and surfaced by investigation. No exact date for the initial disclosure is published.
The forensic report finds no fraud, corruption or intentional misconduct — only "procedural irregularities" from outdated policies — and recommends remedial governance fixes.
The report itself has not been made public; only its characterised findings appear in reporting.
By majority vote (not consensus), Council places Buhlungu on precautionary suspension on full pay pending a disciplinary hearing, citing "irregularities in the appointment processes of two Executive Directors." The notice is signed by chair Dr Siyanda Makaula. Dr Nthabiseng Taole-Mjimba is named acting VC; Parliament's committee welcomes the move; a Council minority — including Marala and Favish — opposes it. See the notice →
Reporting describes a deeply split council: one bloc treating the suspension as a neutral administrative step, the other calling it disproportionate given the self-disclosure and the "no wrongdoing" audit. Disputes flare over the composition of the new VC selection panel.
A charge sheet accuses him of unlawfully appointing two executive directors without Council approval, breaching Section 19.1 of the Statute and "usurping" Council authority — the punitive framing of the same facts the audit called a procedural lapse.
The former interim Chair and Deputy Chair are charged over the 29 Oct 2025 letter to the Minister and over asking the Registrar to circulate a letter referencing a closed Council meeting. They call the charges "petty, frivolous and politically motivated."
In a signed letter, they reject the charges and resign rather than face a process they believe is "a foregone conclusion," alleging the Chair refused to record dissent and silenced the minority. See the letter →
News breaks of the resignations citing factionalism and suppressed dissent. Fort Hare's spokesperson rejects the claims, calling robust debate "a legitimate feature of collective governance." Minister Buti Manamela urges Council to act "swiftly, fairly and justly."
The Student Representative Council files a formal complaint with Parliament, alleging governance irregularities, interference in student governance, victimisation of student leaders, the "purging" of dissenting Council members, and deteriorating Alice-campus residences. The same day, Portfolio Committee chair Tebogo Letsie asks Council chair Makaula to respond within seven working days. See the complaint →
Gounden, a chartered accountant and chartered director, steps down citing "the prevailing circumstances and the various governance-related issues currently facing the University" — the third Council departure after Marala and Favish. See the letter →
The Special Investigating Unit is expected to submit its final report on the alleged fraud and corruption at the university.
Primary sources, presented so you can read them yourself. Each item shows its provenance: original (we hold the document), as-reported (described by media, full text not held), or withheld / not public. Personal contact details in primary documents are redacted.
Notice of Precautionary Suspension of the Vice-Chancellor
31 March 2026 · from Council chair Dr Siyanda Makaula to Prof. Sakhela Buhlungu
SRC Complaint to the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education
14 August 2026 · from the UFH SRC (Secretary-General Lihle Phakophi)
Resignation letter — Council member Sathie Gounden
17 August 2026 · to the Chairperson, University of Fort Hare
Resignation & response letter — Marala & Favish
30 July 2026 · to Council chair Dr Makaula and deputy Dr Mancotywa
Morar Incorporated forensic audit report
Commissioned by the university · findings characterised in reporting
The audit into the two executive-director appointments. As reported, it found no fraud, corruption or intentional misconduct — a procedural lapse from outdated policies — and recommended remedial fixes. The full report is not public; likely withheld while the disciplinary process is live. To be requested from the university / Council.
Charge sheets — VC; and Marala & Favish
Referenced in reporting and the resignation letter
The VC's charge sheet (reported ~15 May 2026) alleges a breach of Section 19.1 of the Statute over the appointments. The Marala/Favish charges (served 24 July 2026) concern the 29 Oct 2025 letter to the Minister and the circulated Council letter. Full texts to be sought.
Portfolio Committee letter to Council chair (Letsie → Makaula)
14 August 2026 · seven-working-day response requested
Committee chair Tebogo Letsie's letter requesting the Council's detailed response to the SRC's allegations. Reported by EdNews Africa; original to be sought.
SIU proclamation & forthcoming report
Presidential proclamation (Oct 2024) · report expected ~30 Sep 2026
The proclamation authorising the two-decade probe, and the SIU's final report (expected around 30 September 2026). Will be added when available.
Compiled and maintained by Wessel van Rensburg, trained lawyer and former member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Investigation Unit. I am a long-standing personal friend of Prof. Andries Bezuidenhout, an academic connected to these events, and I have my own views. I have tried to keep the record even-handed regardless — stating each party's case and linking to primary sources so you can judge for yourself. Where I offer my own opinion, I mark it clearly and keep it separate from the factual record. I raised the idea of this site with Prof. Bezuidenhout; it is my project alone and not made on anyone's behalf.
Claims are marked by status. confirmed means the point is on the public record or in a primary document and is not in dispute. claimed means a named party asserts it and it is attributed but not independently established. contested means the parties actively disagree. Documents carry a provenance status — original, as-reported, or withheld / not public — and gaps (like the forensic audit) are shown as gaps rather than glossed over.
The site's default voice is neutral. Where I add a personal opinion it appears in a clearly marked box like the one below, never blended into the reportage.
If you are named on this site and believe something is inaccurate or unfairly presented, please get in touch — I will consider corrections and publish responses alongside the relevant material. Corrections are logged with a date rather than made silently. [Contact route to be added.]
Reporting drawn from Daily Maverick, Mail & Guardian, News24, TimesLIVE, Daily Dispatch, EdNews Africa, IOL, Polity, the Parliamentary Monitoring Group, the Parliament of South Africa, the Presidency, and the University of Fort Hare; and from primary documents in the library above. Prof. Andries Bezuidenhout's op-ed (UFH, 13 Oct 2025) is cited as a named commentary.