On October 7, 2025, unknown perpetrators set fire to to six buildings on the University of Fort Hare’s campus, causing significant destruction.

Severely damaged buildings included the main administrative building, the student affairs office, the agriculture faculty, and the campus clinic, resulting in an estimated R500 million in damage. The following day, university authorities ordered the entire campus to evacuate and temporarily suspended all operations. No injuries were reported.

The fires occurred on the second day of student protests calling for the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu, following his refusal to engage with students’ concerns over unfair labor practices, poor university governance, and the imposition of an interim Students’ Representative Council.

In the immediate aftermath, a coalition of student organizations condemned the arson and stated that the protests had been “hijacked” by “outside forces” seeking to “sabotage legitimate student struggles and destabilise our institution.” At the time of writing, police had not arrested the perpetrator(s).

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the targeted destruction of campus property. While students and other protesters have a right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, they also have a responsibility to exercise these rights peacefully and responsibly. The destruction of campus property harms the ability of higher education communities to safely and adequately conduct research, teaching, and other academic activities. State authorities have a responsibility to protect higher education communities, investigate threats, and hold perpetrators responsible. Such incidents undermine academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and democratic society generally.

Sources:

https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-africa-south-2025-10-fort-hare-researchers-reeling-after-protests-destroy-labs/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yjn17046po
https://www.africaninsider.com/news/fort-hare-in-flames-student-protests-rage-vc-under-fire/
https://iol.co.za/news/2025-10-16-inside-the-political-war-tearing-fort-hare-university-apart/ https://iol.co.za/news/crime-and-courts/2025-10-09-eight-arrested-in-fort-hare-protests-no-one-yet-charged-for-arson/
https://www.facebook.com/ufh1916/posts/1232802668894120?ref=embed_post
https://x.com/EC_ANCYL/status/1975815437977034858/photo/1