Reitz four to be charged

2008-08-05 22:55

Mike van Rooyen

Bloemfontein - The four former residents of the Reitz residence at the University of the Free State (UFS), who made a video of a mock initiation of workers, are going to be charged with crimen injuria.

This has been decided by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The video, which won first prize at a cultural evening at the residence, has made waves nationally and internationally since March, especially regarding a scene which ostensibly shows a student urinating into a mixture which is then served to the workers.

Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in the Free State, advocate André du Toit SC, said on Tuesday that he had decided that Danie Grobler, Johnny Roberts, Schalk van der Merwe and RC Malherbe should be charged in the magistrate's court over the making of the video. A court date will be set in due course.

The four women cleaners and a male worker who are prominently shown in the video will have to testify in court.

Du Toit said he had decided against the prosecution of 28 students who were arrested in March for being in contempt of a court order that the UFS had obtained in the High Court to prevent disorder on the campus.

There were no injuries or any damage during the campus protests.

A charge of intimidation which was laid in February was not being prosecuted because police had not been able to find a suspect.

The police are still investigating an assault charge after Professor Dave Lubbe of the centre for accounting was pushed around while disorderly students disturbed classes.

A question of dignity

Superintendent Annelie Wrensch said that the senior state prosecutor decided against the further prosecution of 10 students who had been arrested some time ago for malicious damage to property when they left the campus in chaos and caused damage of about R3m.

She said these students could not be positively identified with the damage.

One of the questions that will probably have to be answered during the trial will be whether the students had intended to violate the workers' dignity.

Another question probably will be whether the workers willingly and knowingly allowed their dignity to be compromised.

Reitz residence has been closed by the university.

- Volksblad