National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the five would also face three attempted murder charges, as well as fraud and corruption charges.
In an interview, UFH spokesperson JP Roodt said:
Some of the individuals that were arrested are students with ties to student political organisations at the university.
According to Roodt, some of the individuals that have been arrested are not even registered with the university. Initially, the Fort Hare University management suspected political motives behind the attack, as opposition student organisations have been at loggerheads ahead of September's 2023 Student Representative Council elections.
But some of the university students have argued that the attack could be due to issues such as congested timetables, delayed funding allocation, and other student-related issues.
According to Roodt, the alleged congested timetable wasn't registered by the forum that represents students or the majority of students.
However, the university stated that students were given timetables on time, and the fire incident was uncalled for.
Fort Hare management confirmed that examinations will continue according to plan.
Why was Fort Hare University Investigated By The SIU?
The Special Investigating Unit was tasked with investigating allegations of maladministration in the awarding of honours degrees at the University of Fort Hare.
The investigation aims to further probe the sourcing of public servants to study at various faculties at the institution for individual personal gain.
In addition, the SIU will launch a probe into four tenders at the university, including:
- Contracts for cleaning and gardening services
- The leasing of student accommodation tender
- The appointment of service providers for the maintenance and repair of air conditioning systems, and
- Collusion between officials of the university and service providers, in which such officials held direct or indirect interests.
