Students protest for the release of Fort Hare 11

More than a thousand University of Fort Hare students are picketing outside the Alice magistrate's Court demanding an immediate release of 11 students arrested on Wednesday during clashes with the police on and off campus.

The 11 accused, aged between 18 and 29, have been charged with public violence and violation of the national road traffic amendment act, said Eastern Cape provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Liziwe Ntshinga.

In a statement to DispatchLIVE on Thursday, Ntshinga said: “The arrests follow after several attempts were made by the police to advise students to refrain from resorting to violent means to pursue their grievances. Instead, the angry protesters advanced towards the security at the gate in defiance of the order that they remain inside the campus.” 

Ntshinga said cars were hurled with stones and traffic flow was deliberately blocked and motorists inconvenienced during the chaos. Ntshinga said a day before the arrest, a truck carrying a load of food was looted, state vehicles were damaged and tyres burnt on the road during a protest. Ntshinga condemned the incidents.  

Outside the court the students sang and danced while a strong police contingent watched on. The gates of the court were locked and security beefed up. In the same court, an ANC councillor in the Raymond Mhlaba Municipality accused of raping a Fort Hare student, was applying for bail. The 48-year-old was arrested on Saturday for alleged rape of a 21-year-old student.

The ANC and the EFF in the province have joined hands to show support to the young complainant. Among the ANC bigwigs was party's provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayithobni and ANC MP and former sports MEC Bulelwa Tunyiswa. EFF councillor in the Raymond Mhlaba municipality Siphiwo Mavuso sat next to the ANC leaders. He also said he is with “the victim.”

The cases were to be heard in the afternoon.