ActionSA has denounced vandalism at the University of Fort Hare, with the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) calling for an urgent independent investigation into the extension of the term of Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sakhela Buhlungu and the composition of the university council.

The university suspended its activities after violent student unrest, which saw several buildings set on fire.

Students are calling for Buhlungu’s removal.

ActionSA president Herman Mashaba said while he sympathised with the frustrations of students – who are protesting exclusion, delayed funding, poor accommodation, and administrative neglect – he condemned violence and destruction.

He said the attack on Fort Hare was not just an attack on property but “an assault on our shared history, our democracy, and the power of education to liberate a people”.

“The University of Fort Hare stands as a sacred site in the struggle for freedom and equality, the intellectual birthplace of giants such as Nelson Mandela, Robert Sobukwe, Oliver Tambo, and Seretse Khama. To see its facilities burnt and defaced is to desecrate the very soil on which Africa’s liberation movement was intellectually conceived,” he stated.

He urged government, the university leadership and student representatives to engage to restore calm.

“Democracy offers many tools of pressure and persuasion, peaceful protest, strategic dialogue, civic mobilisation, and reasoned advocacy. These tools empower; destruction only diminishes. When we destroy, we silence our own power and erase the very platforms that were built for us to rise above injustice,” Mashaba said.

INVESTIGATIONS

The ANCYL said while it also condemned the acts of violence, intimidation and destruction, it acknowledged the “legitimate grievances” raised by students, workers and other stakeholders regarding governance and accountability at the university.

ANCYL national spokesperson Zama Khanyase pointed to the joint letter submitted to Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela by the university’s students' representative council (SRC), labour unions and alumni, which said that the university had been plunged into a crisis of leadership and mistrust.

The ANCYL noted allegations of the unlawful extension of Buhlungu’s term of office beyond the retirement age, and the marginalisation and victimisation of students and workers.

The Youth League called for the immediate reinstatement of democratic processes for the election of the SRC to ensure students were not deprived of their constitutional right to representation.

It also wants a transparent mediation process between students, unions, alumni and local communities, to rebuild trust and restore stability at the university.

The ANCYL called for protection of life and property, and urged law enforcement to not use excessive force or target students.

Khanyase said the Youth League commended Manamela for deploying a ministerial team led by Professor Ahmed Bawa to the institution to facilitate dialogue and restore calm.

The Youth League also welcomed Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s intervention in assembling a group of community and faith leaders to assist in restoring peace and promoting social dialogue.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education to ensure that the matter receives urgent parliamentary attention, with a clear recovery plan and accountability framework presented by both the Higher Education Department and university management to restore safety on campuses.

The party further requested the establishment of an independent forensic investigation into the destruction of property and the reported “sponsored violence and criminality”, as well as independent mediation to resolve the dispute over student representation and the SRC constitution.

DA spokesperson on Higher Education & Training Dr Delmaine Christians said the destruction amounted to between R250-million and R500-million, marking one of the most devastating campus crises in recent years.

“There is no justification for burning public property, endangering lives, or derailing the academic year of thousands of students — many of whom were preparing for their final examinations,” Christians stated.

The party said it wanted those responsible for carrying out the attacks to face the full might of the law.

“…the safety of students and staff must be guaranteed before any phased reopening can occur.

“South Africa cannot afford another lost academic year. The immediate priority must be to restore order, protect lives, and safeguard learning — for the sake of the students, the staff, and the proud legacy of Fort Hare,” the DA said.