Universities South Africa (USAf) unequivocally condemns the arson witnessed at the University of Fort Hare
Diana Kinyanjui 
Universities South Africa (USAf) unequivocally condemns the acts of arson witnessed at the Alice (main) campus of the University of Fort Hare (UFH), where the Main Administration building, the Student Affairs building, the Agriculture building and a newly completed campus clinic were deliberately set ablaze during this week’s student protests.
Watching these facilities engulfed in flames has been gravely disappointing and frustrating. The destruction is not only criminal—it is a direct assault on the values of education, progress, and transformation.
The USAf Board of Directors asserts that no level of students’ emotional distress or dissatisfaction— however deeply felt—can ever justify the torching of university infrastructure. The destruction of the four buildings, developed through significant investment to advance young people, constitutes an act of self-sabotage: selfish, short-sighted, and deeply harmful to the very communities they were built to serve. It reflects a troubling disregard for the fundamental role of education as a catalyst for individual empowerment and social progress.
“Education has always been a lifeline for those striving to overcome historical injustices and systemic marginalisation,” the Board states. “Attacking institutions of higher learning undermines the very foundation upon which long-term social transformation, economic mobility, and equity are built. This act of arson is not merely vandalism—it demonstrates an ill intent to erase the liberation project that the University of Fort Hare represents.”
Professor Francis Petersen, Chairperson of the USAf Board, has underscored that differences of opinion are natural in any organisational setting. However, the only legitimate and constructive recourse is peaceful dialogue and principled engagement. “Especially within institutions of higher learning,” he states, “the exchange of ideas must be the cornerstone of leadership and conflict resolution. Violence has no place in our universities.
“While we all feel the pain of this loss, the consequences of this heinous act will hit the UFH students, alumni, senior management and administrators the hardest. It will take years to recover from this devastation, and therefore, one must ask: who does this atrocious act ultimately benefit?”
In conclusion, Professor Petersen wishes to see the University of Fort Hare identify the perpetrators of this arson, so that the law can take its course. He also wishes to see the current unrest contained and peace and stability restored at the Alice campus, so that teaching and learning can resume in time to salvage what remains of the 2025 academic year.
Joe Alex 
SALM TEAM 
