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 1 October 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. It described the problem as a procedural lapse from outdated policies and recommended remedial fixes.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 reject; in their resignation letter they call the disciplinary process politically influenced and its outcome a foregone conclusion. 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 On 28 September 2026 Buhlungu resigned as Vice-Chancellor "with immediate effect", six months into his suspension and before his disciplinary hearing had concluded. In his letter he says the outcome was predetermined, that parts of his contract were no longer honoured, and that the university spoke about him publicly while the process kept him silent. The same day, Council chair Dr Makaula replied that the university accepts the resignation but not its immediate effect: Buhlungu must serve three months' notice, and the university may continue the disciplinary process during that period. The Chair denies that the outcome was predetermined and that Buhlungu was treated unfairly. On 29 September Buhlungu replied that neither the Employee Relations Policy nor his appointment letter and its renewals provides for a three-month notice period, and that his resignation stands. After a special Council meeting that day, the university's HR director wrote on 30 September that Council now sets a four-week notice period under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, so Buhlungu remains an employee until 23 October 2026, and that the disciplinary hearing will continue. On 1 October Buhlungu replied that Council cannot change its position, that the hearing's chairperson had already ruled he lost jurisdiction once Buhlungu resigned, and that his resignation stands. The reasons each side gives are its own account.
confirmed The backdrop is grave: two university staff connected to the anti-corruption work (fleet manager Petrus Roets in 2022 and the VC's bodyguard Mboneli Vesele in 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; it had not been delivered as of 1 October. 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, and 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.
* I have credible information that the report was made on 28 August 2025. See Uncorroborated claims below. (Ed.)
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.
* I have credible information that Morar Incorporated's forensic report was handed in on 10 March 2026. See Uncorroborated claims below. (Ed.)
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 about a proposed Council appointee, and over asking the Registrar to circulate a letter referencing a closed Council meeting (a breach-of-confidentiality charge). Favish says she described the charge about the proposed appointee as frivolous and politically motivated; she did not apply that description to the confidentiality-related charges, which they contest on other grounds.
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 →
Six months into his suspension, and before his disciplinary hearing has reached an outcome, Buhlungu resigns as Vice-Chancellor "with immediate effect." He cites the Chair's testimony at the hearing that Council considers the relationship "broken down iretrievably [sic]"; terms of employment he says are no longer honoured (access to equipment, his own documents, security arrangements and the library); the length of the hearing; and public statements the university made while he could not respond. He says "all indications" point to "a predetermined outcome to get rid of me and others." See the letter →
The same day, Chair Dr Makaula replies that the university accepts the resignation but not its immediate effect. Under his contract Buhlungu must serve three months' written notice, and under clause 5.11 of the Employee Relations Policy the university "reserves the right to proceed with the disciplinary process" during that period. The Chair calls the allegations "unfounded" and denies that the outcome was predetermined or that Buhlungu was treated unfairly. See the reply →
Confirmed: both letters are held and their exchange is on the record. The reasons each gives are that side's own account; the Chair's testimony and the withdrawn access are Buhlungu's statements and have not been independently confirmed.
Replying to the Chair, Buhlungu says the university's Employee Relations Policy "does not make provision for a three months notice period, at all," and that his appointment letter and its renewals do not either. He attaches all three and calls the decision to reject his resignation irrational. See the letter →
Contested: The documents Buhlungu attached would settle the point re the notice period; we do not hold them.
After a special Council meeting on 29 September, HR director Richard Mhlontlo writes to Buhlungu on 30 September. Council "reaffirms its decision to accept your resignation, but not the request that the termination of your employment takes immediate effect." In place of the three months' notice set out on 28 September, Council sets "a shorter notice period" under section 37 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (four weeks for an employee of a year or more), so Buhlungu remains an employee until 23 October 2026. The disciplinary proceedings "will continue to their conclusion." See the letter →
The Special Investigating Unit was expected to submit its final report on the alleged fraud and corruption at the university around 30 September 2026. As of 1 October it had not reported.
Replying to the HR letter, Buhlungu accepts that the Basic Conditions of Employment Act sets a four-week notice period, but says Council cannot switch from the three-month position it took first: "Once it had adopted its position, it is bound thereby." He asks whether the Chair's 28 September letter reflected Council's decision or only the Chair's own. He says he concedes the relationship has broken down irretrievably, and that continuing the hearing serves "ulterior purposes." He also says the hearing's chairperson ruled that he "lacked jurisdiction once I had resigned," and asks where, when and before whom the hearing would continue. He repeats that his resignation stands and offers to help with a handover at no cost to the university. See the letter →
The ruling by the hearing's chairperson is Buhlungu's account; the university has not confirmed or denied it.
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
Resignation letter: Vice-Chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu
28 September 2026 · to Council chair Dr S. Makaula
Council chair's reply to the Vice-Chancellor's resignation
28 September 2026 · from Council chair Dr Siyanda Makaula to Prof. Sakhela Buhlungu
Vice-Chancellor's reply: "Your rejection of my resignation"
29 September 2026 · from Prof. Sakhela Buhlungu to Council chair Dr S. Makaula
HR director's letter: notice period cut to four weeks
30 September 2026 · from HR director Richard Mhlontlo to Prof. Sakhela Buhlungu
Vice-Chancellor's reply to the HR letter
1 October 2026 · from Prof. Sakhela Buhlungu to Council chair Dr S. Makaula
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, not yet delivered
The proclamation authorising the two-decade probe, and the SIU's final report (expected around 30 September 2026). Will be added when available.
Open threads I am still trying to pin down. These are not part of the sourced record above: they are very credible claims or reports I have not yet confirmed against a primary document or a named, on-the-record source. Each is listed with what would settle it, whether that confirms it, backs it up, or lays it to rest. If you can help substantiate or refute any of them, please use the form below.
There is a claim that the lapse over the two executive-director appointments was reported to Council as early as 28 August 2025, months before the March 2026 suspension and before the 19 March special Council meeting the timeline records as the disclosure point. If so, it would place the self-disclosure much earlier than the official account allows.
Currently: word of mouth, not in writing, single source. What would settle it: the Council minutes for 28 August 2025 (the minute item and any resolution), the agenda and attendance register, or correspondence from the VC's office to the Chair around that date.
There is a claim that Morar Incorporated's forensic report was handed in on 10 March 2026. The timeline above places the report in late March, after the 19 March special Council meeting; a 10 March hand-in would put it before that meeting and would revise the sequence around the suspension.
Currently: word of mouth, not in writing. What would settle it: the report's own transmittal or cover date, a Council record acknowledging receipt, or the dated correspondence that conveyed its outcome (the suspension notice refers to a 20 March 2026 letter notifying the VC of the forensic outcome).
An anonymous account circulating on messaging apps argues the crisis stems from a politicisation of Council: that five ministerial seats fell vacant at roughly the same time and stood unfilled for more than a year under former Minister Nkabane, forcing interim leadership, and that the replacement appointees have backgrounds close to provincial political structures.
Partly corroborated already: four new ministerial appointees joined Council in early 2026, with the Deputy Chair drawn from that cohort (see the timeline). Not verified: the simultaneous-expiry and year-long-vacancy specifics, and the "provincial political ties" characterisation, which the university counters by describing the appointees as bringing expertise in law, engineering, project delivery and strategic leadership. What would settle it: More evidence.
The same circulating account states that the University Senate formally expressed concerns about the way Council has acted.
Currently: asserted in the circulating account, not independently confirmed. What would settle it: a Senate resolution or minute recording the objection.
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.
This site was made with the assistance of Claude.
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 use the form below. I will consider corrections and publish responses alongside the relevant material. Corrections are logged with a date rather than made silently. No contact address is published on this page; submissions go privately to the site's inbox.
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.