Fort Hare protest boils over, two students arrested
Rocks flew and a police van was targeted as protests at the University of Fort Hare’s Alice campus entered their fourth day, with two students arrested for public violence.
Two University of Fort Hare students were arrested on Friday following a fourth day of protests at the Alice campus. Allegedly, the students, aged 19 and 23, were involved in stoning cars and attempting to set a police van on fire. Police spokesperson Captain Majola Nkohli reported that six motorists have since claimed damage to their vehicles, prompting the opening of malicious property damage cases.
The two arrested students are scheduled to appear in the Alice Magistrate’s Court on Monday. If the violence persists, police indicated they may need to intervene more aggressively to restore order on the campus. The South African Police Service (SAPS) emphasized that acts of public violence and property destruction will not be tolerated, reaffirming their commitment to maintaining law and order while urging students to resolve grievances through lawful and peaceful means.
The protests, now in their fourth day, began at the university's Alice campus after students went on strike on Tuesday, protesting residence issues dating back to 2025, concerns about the state of university buildings, and claims of inadequate security. This marks the third round of unrest at Alice this year, with previous protests in February over unpaid allowances and inadequate living conditions, and in March over substandard housing managed by a private company.
In October, several university buildings in Alice and East London were petrol-bombed during demonstrations demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, causing estimated damages of between R250 million and R500 million.
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