University of Fort Hare students are demanding the resignation of vice-chancellor Prof Sakhela Buhlungu on his 65th birthday, saying he has reached retirement age.
A group of students held a protest on Friday at the Alice campus, threatening to shut down the university.
Buhlungu was appointed as Fort Hare University vice-chancellor in 2017. He was confirmed for a second term in 2021.
Suspended SRC president Aphelele Khalakahla said Buhlungu's second term, was extended “unlawfully” as they were not consulted.
“We demand the council withdraw the unlawful extension of his term,” he said.
“Proper protocol was not followed in terms of his reappointment post-retirement age. They never communicated after his term was extended.”
Khalakahla said the students and workers have also raised grievances about the vice-chancellor's alleged abuse of power. This includes alleged maladministration, the collapse of student governance, the collapse of infrastructure, unlawful suspension of students, intimidation of workers and students and the unjust unemployment of people in the community.
“The workers complain about intimidation, and there are more contracted employees than permanent employees. Some have been contracted for more than five years without being employed permanently. The students also complain about unpleasant living conditions, such as not having hot water, no facilities, sewage issues and broken windows.”
Buhlungu has been given seven days to step aside.
The university condemned the protest, labelling it dangerous.
It said the orchestrated shutdown was nothing more than a direct assault on robust governance systems that had been put in place by the university’s council as part of the university’s renewal agenda.
“Today’s events were a brazen display of desperation, deploying militant force and intimidation in a calculated attempt by criminal and corrupt elements of society to coerce access to university resources,” the university said.
TimesLIVE
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