Protests bring Fort Hare's Alice campus to a standstill

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Twenty one students from Fort Hare University's Alice campus have been arrested following a massive protest by students on Monday.

Police spokesperson, warrant officer Bradley Rawlinson, says they were released on warning.

Fort Hare vice chancellor, Dr Mvuyo Tom, says talks began last week on the contents of a memorandum presented to university management.

He says management responded to the memorandum and the students, through their representative council, were meant to revert back to management with resolutions but instead began disrupting activities at the institution.

Tom says the students grievances related to academic matters, issues about security on campus as well as matter related to the residences which were recently refurbished.

"What we have done over the weekend is to seek an interdict that the students should stop disrupting the institution and stop violating the rights of other people and stop vandalising the property and facilities of the university," he said.

Dr Tom says Fort Hare management is willing to meet the students but they have to adhere to the interdict first.

"We cannot negotiate with people who've got the barrel of a gun against our heads. That is not acceptable. We will talk with them once there is normalcy and then we can discuss issues with them," he said.