The University of Fort Hare (UFH) Council has condemned the recent destruction on UFH campuses, suggesting it may have been a deliberate attack on the institution’s Renewal Project – a strategic initiative focused on rebuilding infrastructure, restoring accountability, and strengthening academic excellence.
Council Interim Chairperson Ms Kuselwa Marala said the damage went far beyond vandalism, striking at the core of the Renewal Project. “This was not just an act of destruction. It seems to have been an attack on the very foundation of the University’s Renewal Project.”
Echoing the chair’s statement, council member Dr Siyanda Makaula added that the destruction seems to be deliberately targeting the progress achieved in recent years. “If you look at the infrastructure damage, it seems to be targeted at the legacies of the recent years,” he said.
A delegation from the Council visited Alice Campus on Wednesday and East London Campus on Thursday as part of a two-day oversight tour to assess the extent of the damage and engage students.
The delegation met with students at Alice campus’ Davidson Stadium, where they took time to listen attentively to their concerns and received a memorandum outlining student demands. “Afterward, we were invited on a tour of the student residences to gain a deeper understanding of the daily realities students face. From what we saw, there are certainly areas that need attention and improvement,” said Dr Makaula.
Council member, Honourable Executive Mayor Noncedo Zonke, described the scale of the damage as “heartbreaking.” “Despite this, we are grateful no lives were lost. It could have been worse,” she said.
On the Alice Campus, the University lost a brand-new University Clinic building for students, which was scheduled to be launched next month. The Agriculture building, with newly upgraded state-of-the-art laboratories completed earlier this year at a cost of R20 million, was also destroyed. The freshly renovated Staff Centre, which was torched exactly eight years ago, also during a student unrest, and three wings of the Main Administration building were not spared. Extensive damage was also done to the Student Affairs building. In East London, the Education building suffered damage as well.
To support the UFH community, Human Resources and the Student Counselling Unit have activated comprehensive counselling and psychological services. “Differences of opinion will always exist on a vibrant campus, but violence can never be tolerated. Our immediate focus is and remains the safety and well-being of every member of our community. We are equally determined to resume teaching and learning and to complete the 2025 academic year,” the Council stressed.
In a statement issued by the Institutional Forum (IF) chair, Dr Siphe Potelwa, the Forum strongly condemned violence, vandalism, and looting. “The actions of anarchists and those promoting unruly behavior threaten the very future of our institution. The institution should leave no room for unruly behavior and anarchists. The University of Fort Hare belongs to us and many generations to come. Let us protect it at all costs. It cannot be destroyed in our lifetime,” it stated.
With the finalised Integrated Recovery Plan, UFH is now charting a clear path to restore stability and ensure that teaching, learning, and student support continue without interruption.
“The primary, overarching goal of the Council, MEC, the University’s Extended Management Team (EMT), and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is to preserve the academic year. This will ensure that examinations can go ahead, enabling students to complete the academic year, and, importantly, ensuring that final-year students complete their studies to graduate next year,” stated Vice-Chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu.
Council and IF urged students, staff, alums, and stakeholders to unite behind the rebuilding effort.