Fight leaves University of Fort Hare student dead - the 8th killed this year

Another University of Fort Hare student has died on campus after he was apparently stabbed by a fellow student.

The university's SRC premier James Nqabeni said the suspect had fled. "No one knows where he is," said Nqabeni.

SRC president Alungile Kamtshe told DispatchLIVE that he was the eighth student to die on campus this year.

"This is wrong and it is very worrying how some students do not value life," he said.

The incident happened on the Alice campus in the early hours of Saturday. The student died on the scene.

Kamtshe said that on Thursday night, thousands of the Alice campus students had gathered at the sports complex "to remember the eight students lost since the beginning of the year".

UFH institutional advancement director Thandi Mapukata confirmed on Thursday that both the suspect and the victim were registered students at the university.

"According to information we have, a fight between the perpetrator and the deceased started outside university premises but resumed when the students returned to campus where the deceased sustained fatal injuries," she said.

She said a case of murder had been opened with Alice police.

Mapukata said the suspect had been suspended from all academic activities.

"A disciplinary process is under way."

Mapukata said this was a tragedy for the university community and the university had stepped up access control to all residences.

"There are ongoing programmes to conscientise students about respect for self and the rights of others. You may also appreciate that some societal ills make their way into higher education spaces," she said.