University of Fort Hare unrest will cost nearly billion to repair

“WE ARE sitting on ashes. It is depressing.”

That is how University of Fort Hare’s (UFH) Registrar, Njabulo Zuma described the situation at the historic university following a tense week of violence, which resulted in some building being torched.

Zuma said they were now working on recovery efforts, as he walked through the Alice Campus accompanied by the media on Friday, to view the “ruins” left in the wake of the student unrest earlier this week.

The affected structures on the Alice Campus include the Administration Building, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, and Student Affairs. The Staff Centre and the Clinic, both recently renovated, were also not spared. On the East London Campus, the Faculty of Education was set alight.

The total cost of restoration is estimated to be between R300 million and R500 million.

The group’s first stop was the Administration Building, where the Senate Chamber stood blackened. The Examinations Office, which safeguarded academic records and doctoral theses, was consumed by flames. The Human Resources Department, home to employee records and archives, was also gutted.

Revamped just two years ago after being destroyed in the 2017 unrest, the Staff Centre was the first to be set ablaze. The Clinic, which had yet to be officially handed over by contractors, now stands as an empty shell. 

Newly renovated laboratories worth over R10.5 million were destroyed, with irreplaceable data and preserved crop specimens, according to the university . 

“In Pasture Science alone, we have lost research spanning five to six years and equipment valued at more than R15 million,” lamented Prof Ishmael Jaja. “We may have to start from scratch.”

“The newly revamped clinic was meant to enhance further the health services offered to our student community,” said Acting Dean of Students, Prof Priscilla Monyai.

“It is very sad, we are distraught,” said Dean Prof Linda Sibali.

“Our academic agenda has been disrupted. While we can move some teaching and learning online, what about the practicals, the equipment, the years of research samples now gone?”

UFH maintains that though the losses are immeasurable, they are hopeful. 

“What the fire destroyed, time and determination will restore. Indeed, the rise of Fort Hare lies in the hearts of those who refuse to let it fall.”

To begin charting a path toward recovery, university management said they had already started engaging key stakeholders, including the Minister of Higher Education, Buti Manamela, the police, investigators, and assessors.

“Announcements will be made in stages, based on verified facts and figures. At the core is to ensure the environment is safe and conducive” said Zuma.

Property and Services manager, Buhle Shandu added that it would take about two years to restore what was lost.  

In a media briefing on Saturday, Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela confirmed directing Fort Hare University Council and management to put in place all necessary measures to reopen the institution safely and allow teaching and learning to continue, including temporary online modalities where required.

"Our immediate priority is to ensure that the academic programme resumes within the coming week. Students must be able to complete their studies in peace and safety. That is a non-negotiable. The university must ensure that the academic year is not put in jeopardy.The destruction and violence that have engulfed the University of Fort Hare in recent days are deeply tragic. A university should be a space of learning, hope, and progress, not one of fear and destruction.

"The burning of buildings, the intimidation of staff, and the disruption of teaching and learning cannot and will never be justified. What has happened at Fort Hare is not protest; it is criminal. It destroys opportunity, erodes confidence, and undermines the dreams of thousands of young people who look to education as their only chance for a better life."