The University of Fort Hare is investigating alleged xenophobic remarks a student made on a final-year law students' WhatsApp group.

Fort Hare spokesperson Khotso Moabi said in a statement yesterday the university became aware of the "inflammatory language promoting violence" on the "Fort Hare Jurists" WhatsApp group on Thursday.

"The altercation seems to have been sparked by an unrelated incident in which a student was disciplined for reprehensible behaviour. The conversation degenerated into how student groups relate to each other by nationality."

Moabi said they would not tolerate anything that may be "construed as xenophobic".

"We urge our students to ignore this most unfortunate and isolated incident."