Police had to use water cannons to disperse a group of Fort Hare University protesting students who had on Friday afternoon marched from the entrance to the Alice campus to the sports complex – the venue where South African President Jacob Zuma and his Zimbabwean counterpart Robert Mugabe was due to address the institution’s centenary celebrations.
Members of the public order policing unit were on site and barring the students, who were singing struggle songs, from entering the sports complex.
The students, who have been engaged in protest action this whole week, say the university management had prioritised centenary celebrations over their demands, which include that the University sign off on their National Student Financial Aid Scheme student loans, release meal and transport allowances, and that fee increases for residences must be revised.
The violence this week sparked a major security crackdown as a number of high-profile dignitaries were set to attend the celebrations of the university which has long been held up as an example of black academic excellence.
Earlier on Friday morning, students staged a peaceful gathering, with Student Representative Council President Bulali Rawana holding meetings with police command in a bid to ensure peaceful demonstrations.
“You have the right to sit and sing on the premises, we are here to protect public order and we will not take action unless we need too,” said a senior police official on the scene.
Earlier, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said the situation at the university was calm and that the centenary celebrations would go ahead as planned.
“We are very excited about this prestigious event and we are confident that there will be no disruptions from protesting student bodies,” Radebe said.
On Thursday Fort Hare confirmed that ten students had been arrested in connection with the violence at the campus, which resulted in a university building being razed by fire.
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