In the wake of the violent student protests at the University of Fort Hare, the Eastern Cape Provincial Alliance — comprising the ANC, SACP, Cosatu and Sanco — has warned that no-one is above the institution, regardless of position, and lamented “deep-rooted governance challenges and unresolved tensions”.
This comes after several university buildings were torched this week amid the protests.
Students have been at loggerheads over governance and leadership issues.
Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane, higher education minister Buti Manamela, the ANC and the ANC Youth League condemened the destruction.
Mabuyane and Manamela have separately put together teams in a bid to get to the bottom of the problem.
In a joint statement released by ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi, SACP provincial secretary Xolile Nqatha, Cosatu provincial secretary Mkhawuleli Maleki and Sanco provincial secretary Tony Duba, the alliance added its voice to the widespread condemnation of the protests.
The alliance convened its secretariat on Thursday evening to reflect on the unfolding crisis at the university, describing it as “an institution that holds a proud place in the history of our liberation and the collective consciousness of the African people”.
It affirmed and defended the constitutional right of students, workers and communities to protest, organise and demand accountability.
“The right to protest is part of our hard-won democracy, born out of generations who dared to challenge oppression and exclusion. No one should be criminalised for raising legitimate concerns.”
However, the alliance strongly condemned violence, vandalism and destruction of property.
“Acts of violence weaken the very cause they seek to advance and rob the poor of the infrastructure that serves them,” it said .
“Fort Hare belongs to the people; its destruction is an injury to all who look to education as a pathway out of poverty and inequality.”
The alliance said the developments at Fort Hare point to deep-rooted governance challenges and unresolved tensions that have long undermined stability and progress at the institution.
It called for decisive, transparent and inclusive leadership to confront these issues head-on and restore confidence in the institution’s management.
“The alliance further calls on all stakeholders, including management, students, workers, and government, to act with urgency and responsibility to protect the 2025 academic year,” the statement said.
“Losing this year would be a devastating blow to thousands of students and families across our province and beyond.”
The alliance reiterated that Fort Hare must be governed by its own statutes and policies, applied equally to all without fear or favour, and that no individual, regardless of position, is above the institution.
“The alliance stands firm in support of students' democratic right to freely elect their own representatives, without interference or imposition. Student leadership must emerge from the will of the student body, not through administrative manipulation or selective recognition.”
It called on Manamela to institute an independent and credible investigation into the root causes of the crisis.
“The situation has reached a point where the intervention of national government is both necessary and urgent to ensure that Fort Hare is not allowed to slide further into instability.”
The alliance also urged the university council and management to open genuine channels of dialogue with students and workers, guided by the principles of mutual respect, fairness and accountability.
“It is only through engagement, not confrontation, that sustainable solutions can be found,” the statement said.
“The alliance remains committed to defending democratic gains, transforming higher education and protecting institutions that served as engines of empowerment for the people.
“Fort Hare must once again become a beacon of hope, academic excellence and social justice.”
The violent three-day protest action may cost the institution half a billion rand as a result of fire damage and vandalism.
The university has since shut down temporarily and students were instructed to vacate on Thursday.
This week, UFH spokesperson JP Roodt said the university had been briefed by the police crime intelligence unit about credible evidence that the unrest was externally sponsored and orchestrated.
“The identities of those responsible are known to the university and law enforcement agencies,” he said.
“A criminal element masquerading [as] student activists exploited the situation and took hold of our campuses, placing people, property and the academic programme at risk.
“Working in close co-ordination with SAPS, public order policing and private security, UFH has activated comprehensive measures to restore safety and order, and we have seen a marked return to stability.”
Daily Dispatch
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