The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in the Eastern Cape says the students from the University of Fort Hare have blamed the police for the damage to two buildings at the Alice Campus.

The buildings were set ablaze late yesterday afternoon following clashes between protesting students and the police.

The students have been protesting since Monday, demanding that SRC elections be held this month and calling for the cancellation of the Vice Chancellor’s contract extension.

ANCYL provincial spokesperson Siviwe Ngaba has condemned the destruction of university infrastructure.

“Funny enough, we were with them yesterday. We had a meeting with all stakeholders within the university and they are denying any form of arson coming from their side and that the allegation is that the flares that were used, some of them, to disperse the crowd, are what is causing the fires.”

Meanwhile, the management of the University of Fort Hare has shut down the institution’s operations following Wednesday’s acts of arson and violence at its Alice campus in the Eastern Cape.

The university says in a statement that the disruption of university business, threats to staff and students and the destruction of property give them no alternative.

University of Fort Hare shuts down operations amid protests – Abongile Jantjies reports