Plans to establish veterinary studies in the Eastern Cape have suffered a major setback after the Faculty of Science and Agriculture building at the University of Fort Hare in Dikeni was gutted by fire during recent student protests.
By Fredalette Uys
The University of Fort Hare (UFH) and the Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture have been working with national government for some time on a campaign to establish a veterinary faculty at the university, which would form part of the Faculty of Science and Agriculture.
“The destruction of the faculty building is therefore a setback that weakens the foundation for establishing this much-needed service in a province with the largest livestock population in the country,” Wiseman Goqwana, deputy director-general of agricultural regulatory and technical services in the Eastern Cape, told African Farming.
“The veterinary faculty would not only be a boost for the province’s livestock industry but would also improve biosecurity, helping the province retain existing markets while creating new ones amid increasingly competitive global conditions.”
Several buildings, including the agriculture building, were damaged during student protests over three days at the beginning of October. The total cost of the damage is estimated at between R300 million and R500 million.
All activities at UFH’s Dikeni and East London campuses have been suspended since 8 October for security reasons.
During the protests, students demanded, among other things, better governance at the university and in student residences, as well as a re-election of the student representative council.
The pasture science department suffered major damage – research from the past five to six years, along with equipment worth more than R15 million, was destroyed, Prof Ishmael Jaja said in a press statement.
Laboratories worth a further R20 million, which had been renovated earlier this year, were also destroyed, with irreplaceable data and crop specimens lost.
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Prof Linda Sibali, dean of the Faculty of Science and Agriculture, expressed sadness and distress over the interruption of the academic programme. “While some of the teaching and learning can be moved online, what happens to the practical side – the equipment and years of research samples that are now lost?” he asked.
Heinrich Müller, the DA’s spokesperson on agriculture in the Eastern Cape, said it was deeply unfortunate that students who relied on the agricultural facilities at UFH, and who were in no way involved in the violence, are now suffering.
“There is no justification for the damage done to public property, the lives that were put at risk, and the disruption of so many hundreds of students’ academic year. Many were preparing for their final exams, and now everything is up in the air.”
The university announced over the weekend that teaching was to resume online on Monday, 20 October, and that students would be notified when they can return to campus.
UFH has since implemented an integrated recovery plan and assured students that it will do everything possible to enable them to complete the academic year, with final-year students still able to graduate next year.
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Major Losses for the Province
According to the provincial Department of Agriculture, the agricultural industry is the backbone of the Eastern Cape’s economy. It provides employment and ensures food security, and the university plays a vital role in supporting agricultural development across the province.
Goqwana says the university plays a vital role in research and innovation, developing solutions to production challenges faced by both commercial and non-commercial farming sectors.
He says the faculty is an important source of trained professionals who support agricultural development in the province, including lecturers, scientists, agricultural advisors, extension officers and economists, particularly within the provincial Department of Agriculture. The faculty has been a key partner in ensuring that agricultural colleges in the province deliver strong academic offerings through support to academic boards, curriculum development and the moderation of examinations.
Müller says that the loss of laboratories and equipment – resources that are much needed in the province – is completely unacceptable and that funds will now have to be found to rebuild the facilities. “The technical skills and modern expertise needed for the industry are now being withheld because of what happened at the university.”
The provincial department indicated that it would provide any support the university might require, particularly in areas of research such as experimental farms and laboratories.
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