Police fired rubber bullets to disperse protesters at the University of Fort Hare’s Dikeni campus on Monday, injuring several students during a demonstration that caused damage to property.
The protest, which began in the early hours, saw students block the R63 with burning tyres, demanding changes in the university’s management, improved residence conditions and fair SRC elections.
Public order policing officers were called in at about 4am.
A meeting between students and the university’s management was reportedly held on campus on Sunday to address the students’ grievances but there was no resolution. This led to the disruption on Monday.
Residence officer Uzusiphe Vuzane, who was one of five people arrested for public violence, was admitted to Victoria Hospital with a broken leg.
“Five of us were coming back from town, including Lwazi Khalakahla, the former SRC president, a former academic officer and a former sports officer.”
Vuzane claimed as they neared a bridge, six police officers approached them, firearms in hand.
“We were just walking back to campus, causing no harm to anyone, when two of the police approached us and shot at us. We had no weapons, we just ran.
“Then we heard one of them shout ‘here are these boys we were looking for’ as if we’d been targeted,” he alleged.
“I fell under the bridge and broke my leg. I shouted I’d fallen and broken my leg, but one of the policemen continued to shoot at me while I was injured — not once but more than 10 times. I was hit by more than three rubber bullets.”
He added: “What happened to me should be accounted for by the SAPS, and I am going to open a case against the officer who shot me.”
Fort Hare’s director of marketing and communication, JP Roodt, said: “Allegations of a collapse in student governance are false, because the UFH Council approved and communicated an interim SRC arrangement.”
Roodt said former SRC leaders were at the heart of the unrest.
“Leading up to the actions, UFH received multiple reports confirming the involvement of Raymond Mhlaba ward councillor Luxolo Nqala as a co-inciter, along with a former SRC president,” Roodt alleged.
“In the illegal protest where access to the Alice campus was blockaded on September 12 2025, Nqala [allegedly] made several inflammatory statements, along with the former SRC president.
“We will follow formal channels to ask for an investigation and disciplinary investigation into Nqala’s conduct.”
Roodt said the university remained open.
Nqala disputed claims that he and a former student leader were behind the unrest.
“I think the university does not want to deal with stakeholders’ issues. They are using me as a scapegoat. I don’t know if they have the capacity.
“My responsibility is that my constituency is not happy about something [and] I have to take it up. A memorandum was not responded to by the institution.
“The instigator of this strike is management because they have refused to address issues.”
A food delivery truck driver, who asked not to be named, had to turn back when he arrived at the campus to discover evidence of the morning’s chaos, including burning tyres.
“We were scheduled to make the deliveries at 1pm [on Monday] but we couldn’t risk going in. The next delivery scheduled is next week and hopefully everything will be resolved by then.”
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said officers were summoned to the campus at about 4am.
“Members attached to public order policing were deployed to monitor the situation, and rubber bullets were used to disperse the crowd.”
By midmorning on Monday, police had brought the situation under control.
Mawisa said: “Management is negotiating with the students, and the situation is calm and being monitored by police. The road has been reopened and traffic is flowing.”
Five people, aged between 22 and 33, were arrested for public violence. One had been admitted to hospital.
“All suspects are expected to appear in the Alice magistrate’s court soon,” Mawisa added.
Daily Dispatch
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.