IN CONVERSATION WITH WALTER TEBOGO LETSIE, CHAIRPERSON OF PCHE.

Over the past three weeks, tensions have escalated at both the University of the Free State and the University of Fort Hare, where students have taken to the streets demanding urgent attention to issues ranging from financial exclusion and inadequate accommodation to concerns over campus safety and governance. What began as peaceful demonstrations quickly turned volatile, with violent clashes, property damage, and a temporary suspension of academic activities at some campuses of both institutions. Students have expressed deep frustration at what they describe as a slow and insufficient response from university management, while government officials, including the Department of Higher Education and Training, have stepped in, to mediate and restore stability.