More than 60 University of Fort Hare students expected in court

More than 60 students from the University of Fort Hare’s East London campus are expected in court on Monday after they were arrested on Thursday night in Quigney by East London police for public violence.

For more than a week now, the students have been protesting at the university demanding that, among other things, the university implements a shuttle service as they are being targeted by criminals “every day”, and that the university finds accommodation for 250+ students.

They are also demanding that the 8% tuition fee increment implemented this year be scrapped.

According to the police, it is alleged that at about 8 o’clock on Thursday evening, more than 100 students gathered at Fleet and Currie Street in Quigney, East London, and started burning construction barriers.

“Police issued number of warnings to the students to stop them, but they refused and started to throw stones to them,” said Provincial police spokeswoman, Brigadier Marinda Mills.

She added that, police then proceeded to arrest some of the students.

On Friday morning, the students mobilised at the university campus and marched to the police station demanding that they be arrested too. The students claim that their comrades were “kidnapped” by police from their bedrooms.

“We were striking in Fleet Street, so students ran into Lwandle Residence in Quigney, and the police entered the building and arrested everyone.

“Some students were arrested sleeping, they are in jail wearing pyjamas,” said Pan Africanist

Student Movement of Azania (PASMA) Branch Chairperson, Zukisani Nyewe.

He added that, they have sought legal assistance for the arrested students.