The University of Fort Hare council says it is heartbroken by the devastation caused by the recent unrest that swept through its Alice and East London campuses, leaving buildings damaged and students displaced.
The council, in a statement, described the aftermath as “heartbreaking”, with damage to the administration, staff and agriculture buildings in Alice.
The council expressed relief that no lives were lost.
The unrest followed weeks of student protests over safety, governance and housing conditions. Fires broke out on campus last week, prompting the university to temporarily close and send students home before a court order halted the student evictions.
The council said, “We recognise the immense shock, grief and anxiety this has caused, especially for our staff and students. To support our community, human resources and the student counselling unit have activated comprehensive counselling and psychological services.”
It said that while differences of opinion were part of a vibrant university, violence could never be accepted.
“Differences of opinion will always exist on a vibrant campus, but violence can never be tolerated. Our immediate focus is and remains the safety and wellbeing of every member of our community.”
The council added that its priority was to restore stability and ensure the completion of the academic year.
“We are equally determined to resume teaching and learning and to complete the 2025 academic year.”
The council has instructed management to present clear, time-bound plans for reopening the university and ensuring academic continuity. It said it would conduct an oversight visit to both campuses this week to assess the situation first-hand.
“This week, the council will visit the campuses as part of our oversight duty to understand, in full, the events that led to the protests and the devastation that followed. We will issue a comprehensive response once this work is complete.”
The council thanked minister Buti Manamela and the department of higher education and training for their “steadfast support”, and praised alumni and stakeholders for their solidarity.
“Council remains unwavering in its commitment to the university’s renewal project and to rebuilding Fort Hare stronger, safer and more united than before.”
TimesLIVE
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