UFS horror race video surfaces
2008-02-26 23:26
Bloemfontein - A racism bombshell hit the University of the Free State (UFS) on Tuesday when a video was distributed showing five black cleaners at a traditionally white men's residence on the campus being "initiated".
Amid loud laughter, they are shown taking part in races, downing beers and drinking a mixture in which a student had secretly urinated.
Hundreds of furious black students gathered on the lawn next to the campus library on Tuesday afternoon, demanding an explanation and singing protest songs.
Student leaders managed to persuade them to delay a protest march until Wednesday morning.
Screaming students condemned the scenes on the video and waved placards with messages such as "Enough is enough".
Speaking to Volksblad at the spontaneous campus protest, a student said: "We're furious. The problems at the campus have now escalated, and become a full-blown human-rights issue."
The video was apparently recorded by students at the Reitz men's residence last September.
Given mixture to drink
The narration on the video begins: "Once upon a time the 'boere' lived peacefully here on Reitz Island, until one day when the less-advantaged discovered the word 'integration' in the dictionary."
The cleaners take part in a "boat race" (a beer-downing competition), a dance, a sprint race, a mock rugby practice and finally, they're given a mixture to drink.
The video shows garlic being put into a dish full of what looks like dog food.
"We know they're less privileged so we're adding a bit of meat," says the narrator.
Another student puts the bowl on the toilet and urinates into the mixture.
The brew is then distributed in plastic glasses to the cleaners.
All five of them spit out the first mouthful, but try to finish it amid loud encouragement from the students.
The video ends with the words: "That, at the end of the day, is what we think of integration."
This is followed by one of the students asking a cleaner: "What does 'sefebe' mean in Afrikaans?"
"A black whore," she replies.
Integration policy
The Rector, Professor Frederick Fourie, said at a media conference on Tuesday evening that the cleaners were traumatised when they saw how their trust had been abused by the students at the residence.
"The humiliation stems from the way in which the video is presented."
He said the video clearly referred to the integration policy which was being implemented from this year by the university.
In short, the policy lays down what percentages of black and white students will be allocated to the residences.
Up to the end of last year, whites and blacks lived in separate residences.
Fourie said: "There's an ugly crust on this issue. The video's a direct indication of that."
Four students can be clearly identified on the video. Two of them still live in Reitz residence and the university management has barred them from the campus. The other two have completed their studies.
Fourie said: "We will act swiftly and efficiently against the students concerned, and begin a more-comprehensive inquiry into the affair. We're also considering filing criminal charges."
He said it had been a highly emotional day on the campus, during which student representatives, members of the house committee and university staff had roundly condemned the content of the video.
Planning protest march
Helen Zille, national leader of the Democratic Alliance strongly condemned "the disgusting abuse" of the cleaners, by the students who made the video.
Meanwhile, the Freedom Front Plus, too, has condemned the video.
Youth leader Cornelius Jansen van Rensburg distanced the organisation from the "atrocities screened on a video reportedly produced at the institution".
"The FF Plus Youth will never condone, nor justify, the violation of the human dignity of any person.
"If the video footage is real and the description thereof in media reports, correct, the event speaks of inhumane conduct which should not be left unpunished," said Van Rensburg.
The cleaners' union, Nehawu, intended joining several black or mainly black groups who were planning a protest march at the campus on Wednesday morning.
They'll be handing over a memo listing their grievances and suggestions to the UFS management. - Beeld / Sapa
Click here to view the video