A coalition of civil society organisations has stepped forward to defend the University of Fort Hare (UFH) after the recent wave of destruction and arson attacks that left parts of the historic campus in ruins.
More than 30 organisations based in the Eastern Cape, supported by more than 140 groups of individuals across South Africa, have joined forces to reclaim and safeguard the historic institution. They are also calling for the restoration and protection of democratic values.
The coalition includes voices from civil society, academia, faith-based groups, youth movements and the arts, all standing against what they describe as the erosion of justice, integrity and accountability at one of South Africa’s most important universities.
In a statement the group said the events at UFH are “deeply disturbing”. For several years, the university’s community, led by vice-chancellor Prof Sakhela Buhlungu, has been working to tackle entrenched corruption, rebuild systems and restore integrity.
The recent acts of arson and destruction wiped out millions of rand of investment, including a new student health clinic, staff centre and refurbished laboratories.
The coalition expressed grave concern that criminal networks may be attempting to destabilise the institution to protect corrupt interests. They said such actions are not just attacks on the university but also on South Africa’s democracy and constitutional order.
“What is happening at UFH is expressive of the infiltration of organised crime across government institutions. This needs to stop.
— Pedro Tabensky, Allan Gray Centre for Leadership Ethics at Rhodes University
“We condemn the destruction of our historic university and call on the department of higher education for a speedy intervention. We also wish to give support to students and staff of the institution, while encouraging the security cluster to do diligent work in finding the syndicates,” said a representative from the Phakama Eastern Cape Civic Movement.
The coalition also highlighted that these violent incidents coincide with the Special Investigating Unit’s corruption investigations at Fort Hare, suggesting the possibility of sabotage or retaliation against anti-corruption efforts.
“What is happening at UFH is expressive of the infiltration of organised crime across government institutions. This needs to stop,” said Pedro Tabensky from the Allan Gray Centre for Leadership Ethics at Rhodes University.
The coalition recognised students’ constitutional rights to organise and protest peacefully, but urged calm, dialogue and collaboration to strengthen the institution rather than tear it apart. They called for a full and transparent investigation into the attacks and accountability at every level.
The group said it stood in solidarity with everyone working to protect Fort Hare’s future, urging South Africans to rally behind the institution and its renewal and called on Eastern Cape communities to protect and reclaim Fort Hare as a public institution that belongs to all South Africans.
They also called on the department of higher education and training, the parliamentary portfolio committee on higher education and other state bodies to support the fight against corruption and provide protection for university leaders driving these reforms.
The group praised Buhlungu and his team, saying they have “demonstrated remarkable resolve in the face of immense personal risk and sacrifice” and that their sustained efforts reflect the leadership South Africa urgently needs.
“It is time for accountability to be strengthened, not undermined — for integrity to be protected, not punished. We stand with the University of Fort Hare. We stand for justice, renewal, honest leadership and the future of the Eastern Cape,” they said.
TimesLIVE
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