UFS Bloemfontein and South Campuses closed from 23 to 24 February 2016

22 Feb 2016

State of our campuses #6

The University of the Free State’s (UFS) Bloemfontein and South Campuses will be closed from 23 to 24 February 2016. The decision was made due to the strike of outsourced contract workers. Some students on the Bloemfontein Campus joined the strike today by protesting on campus.

The safety of staff and students is the priority of the senior leadership and this is why a decision was made to close the two campuses. No academic or administrative services will be available for the two days. However, essential services such as ICT Services, switchboard services, security, etc., will be available.

Varsity Cup match between FNB Shimlas and FNB NMMU Madibaz disrupted

22 Feb 2016

State of our campuses #7

The Varsity Cup match between the FNB Shimlas and FNB NMMU Madibaz, which took place on 22 February 2016 at Xerox Shimla Park on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS), was disrupted in the 17th minute when a group protesters moved onto the field in order to disrupt the match already underway.

The rugby players of both teams, as well as the match officials, immediately cleared the field as the protesters moved across the field towards the halfway line. Members of the UFS Protection Services gathered around the protesters but were outnumbered. After a few minutes, spectators ran onto the field. The protestors were chased off the field and beaten by the spectators. Injured persons were treated by medical personnel. It is clear at this time that both the protesting group and the spectators included non-students in their number.

The senior leadership of the UFS condemns in the strongest terms possible the violence against the protestors; nobody has the right to take the law into their own hands. An urgent investigation is underway, using footage from the event, and no stone will be left unturned to identify those who acted violently, whether students or not.

Statement issued by the University of the Free State, 23 February 2016

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