Violent protests on eve of mid-year exams at University of Fort Hare

The University of Fort Hare (UFH) says the examination sessions scheduled for Monday morning will be rescheduled to a later date after violent protests at its Alice campus on Sunday night and the early hours on Monday. 

University spokesperson JP Roodt confirmed exams at the Alice and East London campuses will be rescheduled to a later date that will be announced. “Starting from the afternoon session today, the rest of the university’s exams will proceed as planned.

"The university will also deploy security to ensure the safety of our students whose rights to education have been infringed,” Roodt said.

He said UFH has launched an investigation into an unlawful gathering at the Alice campus on Sunday night, resulting in the destruction of university property.

“A fire was set in the foyer of the UFH indoor sports centre, student furniture was burnt, a university shop was vandalised, and the windows of a computer lab were smashed a few hours before the commencement of mid-year examinations."

Contrary to rumours on social media that the UFH indoor sport centre was completely gutted, Roodt said only the foyer area was affected.

"The university remains perplexed over the trigger of the events. Allegations circulating on social media about congested exam timetables as the basis for the violence on campuses are unfounded for several reasons."

Roodt said students and faculties were consulted ahead of the exams on timetables, exam module clashes were brought to the attention of the examinations department by faculties and students and adjustments were made, and no formal complaint over the exams timetable clashes, as a student affairs concern affecting the most of the student body, were brought to management by the students' representative council.

Roodt  said that outlier cases of congested individual exam timetables are not new.

“In the past such have never been and should never be the source of violent protests at Fort Hare or any South African university.”

After meetings late on Sunday night and early Monday morning, the university’s management executive committee resolved examinations scheduled will proceed as per the original exam timetable. 

Roodt said the university is obtaining eyewitness reports from students who witnessed the violence.

"We are also reviewing social media posts ahead of the event, and we are examining CCTV footage to identify perpetrators.

“The university is certainly not ruling out foul play or the deliberate sponsorship of student violence."

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