FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The African National Congress (ANC) in Eastern Cape is extremely disappointed at, and condemns in the strongest terms possible, the burning of the staff centre and acts of violence at the University of Fort Hare (UFH ).
We fully supports peaceful protests by students in pursuit of their genuine demands which include the students demand for SRC elections, which are central to ensuring democratic representation and accountability at UFH as mandated by Section 35 of the Higher Education Act (Act 101 of 1997) but also condems the use of brutal force applied by university security more especially against unarmed and harmless students whom some were seen jumping over windows .
Vandalism and burning of public property in pursuing demands by students have no place in our society and must be condemned. Students should understand that university property is meant to facilitate their own education and of future generations to come. The destruction constitutes the single largest reversal of the gains the campus has made since our country’s 1994 democratic breakthrough.
The primary objective of our universities is teaching, learning and research, and these activities should remain sacrosanct and we will continue to support the genuine and urgent needs of students including creating more access to higher education.
We further call on the management of UFH and its Community to go to the table with the aim and objective to find a solution to the crisis. Management should create a safe learning and working environment at the Institution and not criminalising the plight of students. We are also calling on the Minister of Higher Education, Cde Buti Manamela to intervene urgently and to bring normality at our Institution of Learning.
All our public higher education institutions have structures through which these matters can be resolved, such as the Council, Institutional Forums, Student Representative Council, trade unions and Executive Management and therefore the ANC call upon these structures to urgently resolve the impasse in order to restore stability in the institution and promote ethical and professionalism within this prestigious university.
ENDS…
ISSUED BY THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS – EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE
Enquiries :
Cde Gift Ngqondi
Provincial Head of Communications
ANC Eastern Cape
Mobile No-0849519924/0848439706
