Uncategorized
By Thapelo Molefe
Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education has pledged to restore stability at the embattled University of Fort Hare (UFH) and assured students that it will work toward a resolution with university management.
Tebogo Letsie, chairperson of the committee, made the commitment after receiving a memorandum of demands from students, following weeks of unrest and heightened tensions on campus.
Letsie visited UFH’s Dikeni (formerly Alice) and East London campuses on Monday afternoon to meet with student leaders and members of the university’s convocation. He said the committee would formally present the memorandum to university management and seek urgent responses to the issues raised.
The memorandum, submitted by student representatives, calls for the removal of the vice-chancellor, the dissolution of the university council, and the holding of Students’ Representative Council (SRC) elections by the end of October. Students are also demanding improvements in accommodation, campus transport, and safety measures—issues that have fueled unrest in recent months.
“We will write to the vice-chancellor and attach the memorandum as an annexure for them to respond to,” Letsie told students during the meeting.
“We will give them until Thursday to reply, and by Friday we should be able to respond to the students. When you don’t respond to students, it appears as if you are arrogant, so we will respond and show how far we can go on what they have asked.”
Letsie emphasised that many of the demands fall within the responsibilities of the university management and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), rather than Parliament. However, he assured students that the committee would facilitate accountability and engagement among all relevant stakeholders.
“If management fails to respond, we will escalate the matter,” he warned. “We can invoke Section 56 of the Constitution, which empowers Parliament to summon any information or institution in the public interest. We have lost buildings worth between R250 million and R500 million across campuses, and teaching and learning have been disrupted. We cannot allow this situation to continue.”
The visit comes after violent student protests left parts of both the Alice and East London campuses in ruins, prompting Parliament’s oversight committee to intervene.
Letsie described the situation as “deeply concerning,” saying the university’s challenges reflect broader governance and communication failures within the higher education sector.
During the meeting, UFH Convocation Executive Committee President Ayabulela Pezisa said the convocation was working to mediate between management and students.
“We are an important stakeholder at this university. Management must not distance itself from us. We want to help fix what affects both students and the institution,” Pezisa said.
Students, however, expressed frustration over what they described as management’s “arrogance” and unwillingness to engage meaningfully.
“We have been here for days demanding that our issues be addressed. If our demands are not met by next week, we will stand together again,” one student leader said.
When asked whether he believed external parties were involved in the recent destruction of university property, Letsie refrained from speculation but called for a forensic investigation into the incidents.
“It would be reckless for me to have an opinion without evidence,” he said.
“An investigation must determine who was responsible, whether it was students, management, security companies, or community members. Whoever is found guilty must be arrested because this is criminal behaviour that has cost government millions.”
The committee’s intervention marks a critical moment for the embattled institution, which has faced months of turmoil, including staff suspensions, student protests, and allegations of maladministration.
Letsie urged calm and dialogue, saying Parliament would monitor developments closely.
“We hope management will respond positively so we don’t have to go the legal route. What’s important is to restore stability and ensure students can learn in a safe environment,” he said.
The committee is expected to brief Parliament later this week on the outcomes of its visit and management’s response to the students’ demands.
INSIDE EDUCATION
