University of Fort Hare students arrested for property damage, out on bail

Thirteen suspects arrested in connection with the violence and alleged arson at the Alice Campus of the University of Fort Hare (UFH) have been released on bail.

University of Fort Hare protest

The group of students from the institution appeared briefly in the Alice Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on charges of malicious damage to property and theft.

The students, aged between 19 and 22, were arrested on Sunday after a protest at UFH turned violent.

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The initial court hearing for the accused took place on Tuesday, and was subsequently adjourned until Thursday to allow for additional profiling of the suspects involved.

Court appearance

During their court appearance, the students were granted bail, and some of them were released on a warning.

The case was postponed to 28 July for further investigation.  

Following an unauthorised protest at UFH on Sunday evening, the group was arrested by police. Their protest was sparked by concerns over an alleged overcrowded examination schedule.

Amid the protest, a section of the sports centre was set ablaze, and various other facilities suffered acts of vandalism.

UFH said it was actively gathering information from eyewitnesses, and they are meticulously reviewing social media posts preceding the incident. The university is also examining CCTV footage in an effort to identify the individuals responsible for the damage.

UFH has reported initial assessments suggesting that the incurred damages may amount to millions of rand.

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