The Minister of Higher Education, Mr Buti Manamela, has said student protests at the University of Fort Hare may have been hijacked by criminal elements “who may or may not be students”.
Mr Manamela addressed the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and the Creative Industries on Tuesday ahead of tabling his department’s annual report. He said protest action that damages university property is very costly and has now spread to the University of the Free State.
He said: “We are saddened by what happened at Fort Hare and last night at University of the Free State. Damage of the property of the institutions is wrong. Students’ protests got overtaken by criminal elements, who may or may not be students.”
The students at the University of Fort Hare had been protesting since last Monday with a host of demands, including that the vice chancellor retire and demanding to have a voice in SRC elections. The administration building and six other buildings were reduced into ashes, leading the institution to shut down all operations and order all students to vacate campus.
Minister Manamela revealed that over and above his meetings with the university councils, the department also dispatched a team to the University of Fort Hare. “Challenges had been around governance and issues related to student dissatisfaction with the collapse of the accommodation and learning spaces, and whole range of other things. All these were ventilated to the team we sent there,” he said.
He said the UFH council is hard at work ensuring that learning and teaching at the university is restored.
“We are looking at giving a response to some of the issues raised by all the stakeholders and we will give a detailed response to the issues. The main issue is to restore learning and teaching and to get the academic year back on track,” he noted.
The detailed response will be ready by Friday.
Sibongile Maputi
14 October 2025
Arrange a tour