It's premature to suggest UFH be placed under administration: DHET

Deputy Higher Education Minister Mimmy Gondwe said it's premature to suggest that the University of Fort Hare (UFH) be placed under administration.

Answering questions in the National Assembly this afternoon, Gondwe said the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) would only consider next steps once it had received a detailed report from the university on the allegations that sparked the unrest earlier this month.

She also confirmed that Minister Buti Manamela has set up a task team led by Professor Ahmed Bawa to engage students, staff, and other stakeholders at the institution.

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Two weeks after buildings were torched on the university’s Dikeni campus, Parliament’s Higher Education Portfolio Committee visited the institution on Tuesday to inspect the damage.

On Wednesday, the MK Party’s Sihle Ngubane questioned whether the institution should not be placed under administration.

The Democratic Alliance (DA)’s Delmaine Christians, meanwhile, wanted to know about early intervention where there are already known tensions, following unrest at several institutions this year.

In response, Gondwe said Manamela had met with university Vice Chancellors on Tuesday to establish regular meetings with them.

“Those meetings are to ensure we are ready for the 2026 academic year, but obviously, the meetings would serve as a platform for Vice Chancellors to flag any issues at their institutions,” Gondwe stated.

A war room has also been established to monitor and detect problems on campuses.

Gondwe added that the department is also trying to institutionalise dispute resolution mechanisms at tertiary institutions to prevent violence as a response to grievances.

“We are working with law enforcement agencies to ensure there’s safety on campus,” she reassured.