The latest developments at the University of Fort Hare have once again placed university governance under the national spotlight. Why do governance crises recur across different institutions, under different councils, different vice-chancellors and different political administrations? The same is true of every public university. Should parliament undertake a review of university governance in light of the recurring challenges experienced across multiple institutions? If similar governance crises continue to emerge across different institutions, perhaps the real question is no longer why one university is experiencing difficulty.