By Akani Nkuna
Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela said on Saturday that the violent incidents at the University of Fort Hare in Alice, Eastern Cape, were acts of criminality, not protest.
This follows violent demonstrations at the university’s Alice campus on Wednesday when ‘protesters’ burned several administrative and staff buildings.
The unrest stems from a range of grievances, including calls for the Vice-Chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu’s resignation, delays in National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) payments, and demands for immediate student leadership elections.
Addressing the media in Hatfield, Pretoria, Manamela outlined his department’s intervention measures following the week’s events, saying the destruction of property and intimidation of staff could not be tolerated.
He also emphasised that students who allegedly committed “such atrocious acts” ought to be classified as criminals and be subjected to the full might of the law.
“This is criminality even if these people are students. They are
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