Alice, Eastern Cape — The University of Fort Hare has acknowledged a prolonged state of disrepair across its student housing stock after learners marched through the streets of Alice demanding an end to what they called unliveable residential conditions. The demonstration, triggered by what protesters described as management’s sustained inaction, forced the institution’s property division to publicly concede that its residences have suffered “many years of neglect” and a mounting repair backlog.
Students Describe Sewage, Broken Windows, and Darkness
The residential precinct at the heart of the protest has, according to the students, been deteriorating for years. Demonstrators listed a catalogue of failures: roofs that leak during rainfall, shattered or missing windows, non-functional lighting, absent cooking stoves, and a sanitation system so compromised that a foul odour permeates the buildings.
Student leader Sinovuyo Ngqwangi said the on-campus housing had fallen below even the most basic standards of accommodation.
“Even hostels are much better compared to what we are living in,” Ngqwangi told those gathered at the protest. “Sewage is a norm for us. Leaking roofs, no windows, no stoves, no lights — the situation is so bad.”
The students emphasised that they had repeatedly raised these grievances through internal channels. When no visible remediation followed, they opted to take their demands to the streets.
Property Director: “Maintenance” Is the Wrong Word
Buhle Shandu, the university’s Director of Properties, did not dispute the severity of the crisis. Instead, he reframed the language around it, arguing that the term “maintenance” understates the scale of the problem.
“We are using a term that doesn’t really fit properly,” Shandu explained. “What we have is a state of disrepair — many years of neglect, many years of backlog.”
Shandu sought to reassure students and the public that remedial work was in progress, even if it had not yet become visible to residents. “Something may not be visible on your end, but from our end, a lot is being done,” he said.
Security Officers Left Without Radios, Uniforms, or Vehicles
The infrastructure shortfall extends beyond student housing into campus safety operations. Daniel Steyn, Head of Security Services at the university, disclosed that his officers have been working without critical equipment, including two-way radios, proper uniforms, and patrol vehicles.
Steyn placed responsibility squarely on the previous administration. “I applied for radios, I applied for uniforms, I applied for vehicles — I applied for everything they need to do proper security,” he said. “The previous management did not request any uniform, no radios, no vehicles, nothing. We inherited this security department in that state.”
He indicated that the procurement process is now under way and that the requested equipment should be delivered during the final quarter of the year.
Same-Day Repair Truck Pledged
In a direct response to the day’s demonstrations, university management committed to dispatching a repair truck to the campus before the close of business, signalling at least an initial operational step toward addressing the students’ most immediate complaints.
Protesters, however, maintained that a single vehicle does not constitute a solution and called for a comprehensive, transparent overhaul of the institution’s residential infrastructure.
