By Thapelo Molefe
A University of Fort Hare alumna, Mbali Silimela, has written to National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola, making damning allegations of corruption, fraud, and abuse of power against the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, and other senior officials.
In his email, Silimela accuses Buhlungu of being at the centre of what he describes as a criminal syndicate within the university’s management.
He claims the Vice-Chancellor, together with former senior official Isaac Plaatjies, who is currently in custody for his alleged involvement in the murder of university employee [Mr Vesele], has been involved in the looting of university funds through companies linked to close associates.
“Professor Sakhela Buhlungu is the first criminal syndicate. His involvement in fraud and corruption goes far beyond,” Silimela wrote.
“Both the Vice-Chancellor and Isaac Plaatjies are involved in stealing University funds using companies of their friends to milk the funds.”
Silimela is an alumni of UFH having graduated from bachelor of education in 2022.
He is the former chairperson of Cope Student Movement (COPESM) where he led a strike in 2021 and was suspended, however he was brought back by a court order. He was deployed as Students Representative Council’s academic officer where he was booted out by the system
According to Silimela, R1.4 million was unlawfully withdrawn from the university’s account in 2021, while a further R1.9 million was allegedly on the verge of being stolen in 2022 before the transaction was blocked.
He questions how Buhlungu became aware of the alleged attempted theft and how he managed to stop it despite not having access to the university’s accounts.
“It is very shocking how the Vice-Chancellor managed to block this R1.9 million from being stolen since he’s not linked with a university account,” Silimela stated.
“I suspect he was told by the Chief Financial Office (CFO) or an accountant of the university. Therefore, if he was informed by a CFO or an accountant, we need documentation of their conversation alerting him.”
Silimela’s letter comes shortly after weeks of unrest at the University of Fort Hare’s Alice and East London campuses, where violent student protests led to disruptions in learning, damage to property, and heightened tensions between management and students.
The protests were fuelled by growing dissatisfaction over governance, safety, and alleged corruption within the institution.
Silimela’s letter further accuses the university’s CFO, accounting officials, and First National Bank (FNB) of withholding critical information about the alleged transaction.
He insists that no documentation has been provided to prove that the attempted transfer was ever detected or stopped.
“If there are no indications from the bank showing that the R1.9 million was on the verge of being taken, it raises grave issues,” he wrote.
He describes the Vice-Chancellor’s anti-corruption stance as “a facade,” alleging that those who present themselves as reformers are, in fact, involved in the same activities they claim to expose.
Silimela’s email, sent directly to Masemola, calls for a full investigation into Fort Hare’s financial management, including access to bank statements, correspondence between the Vice-Chancellor and finance officials, and any internal records related to the alleged transactions.
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