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The much anticipated centenary celebrations for the University of Fort Hare will go ahead on Friday despite threats of protests by students.
Today minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe gave a state of readiness for the celebrations under the theme, “Celebrating 100 Years of Academic Excellence” and announced that President Jacob Zuma and Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe will be among the key speakers.
Zuma will deliver the keynote address while his counterpart, Mugabe will speak as an alumnus of the university.
Radebe speaking on behalf of a 11-member Inter-Ministerial Committee which was tasked to oversee the plans of the celebrations of the university said the main event would take place on Friday with 2 500 attendees expected at the Sport Complex in Alice, main campus.
Addressing members of the media via a video link from Cape Town to East London’s University of Fort Hare campus, minister Radebe said about 1 000 members of the public will be hosted in an overflow marquee, while an off-site venue will be provided in East London for students from other campuses.
The University of Fort Hare has produced some of the most decorated African leaders and heads of states including South Africa’s own, late former President Nelson Mandela, Robert Mugabe, Sir Seretse Khama of Botswana and Ntsu Mokhetle prime minister of Lesotho.
Among other great struggle icons and intellectuals are ANC’s longest serving president, Oliver Tambo, Govan Mbeki, Robert Sobukwe, Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Christ Hani.
One of the most respected alumnus of the university is ZK Matthews, who become one of the first graduates and later become lecturer at the institutions, also known as Kwa NoCollege.
But the historic celebrations comes at a time when the present-day generation of students are up in arms with management over the issue of student financial aid with mounting threats to disrupt Friday’s main celebration by the president.
Dr Mvuyo Tom principal and vice-chancellor at the university admitted there were “simmering tensions” and possible disruptions that might occur on the day of the celebrations.
“It is true that there are tensions that have developed at the university since Monday. The East London campus is not involved in that particular tension we have in our Alice campus,” he said.
He said the Alice campus tensions were related to financial aid where 16 complaints have been handed over to management.
“Most of those complaints and issues have been dealt with as management responded to them yesterday. It would seem that the real intension indeed is to try and disrupt the celebrations. That is some of the word we have received from information gathering we have had from Alice,” Tom said.
He said since yesterday the university management has heard that the students have escalated the protest to try and get workers out of the campus.
“We working on dealing with that situation but I wouldn’t say what how we are going to deal with it at this stage. We have a planned meeting with the SRC for this afternoon,” Tom said.
There was an element to ensure that there is no peace until Friday, he said.
Premier Phumulo Masualle said as the provincial government they would monitor and provide support too efforts to bring calm.
