'An Avoidable Crisis': Parliament hits out at Fort Hare over student unrest

PARLIAMENT’S Portfolio Committee on Higher Education will conduct an urgent oversight visit to the University of Fort Hare's Alice Campus today, 21 October, following violent student protests that caused extensive damage to infrastructure and disrupted academic operations.

- HOPE NTANZI

Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie said the destruction at the Eastern Cape campus was estimated to be between R250 million and R500m. He blamed the university’s management for not engaging with students and for failing to hold Student Representative Council (SRC) elections.

“The violent student unrest could have been avoided if the university management had engaged with students and allowed the Student Representative Council (SRC) elections to take place as requested,’ Letsie said.

“Instead, the university management decided to appoint an Interim SRC after the term of the elected SRC expired”