DROPING CHARGES AGAINST RACIST CRIMINALS IS ABORTION OF JUSTICE

NEHAWU is deeply disturbed by the decision taken by the University of Free State under the leadership of Vice Chancellor, Professor Jonathan Jansen, to drop the university charges against the four students who were caught humiliating and performing degrading acts against black workers at the university (see here).

While we welcome the professor's commitment to the transformation of the university we want to see the workers who were humiliated by those racist students getting justice and these racists paying for their actions.

The union rejects this decision by the university as it will send the wrong message to all racists who continue to oppress and victimize black people across the country. NEHAWU maintains that the only way to deal with racism is to deal with them harshly and with little tolerance of their behaviour which has no place in the new South Africa.

Black people of this country sacrificed so much to dismantle the evil racist regime of apartheid and they compromised to ensure that the perpetrators of racially motivated apartheid crimes got a second chance to make amends, they do not deserve this.

It is not acceptable that every time white people commit racially motivated crimes against black people they are given a blanket amnesty and the victims are encouraged to forgive their tormentors and not pursue justice.

NEHAWU is looking forward to working with the vice chancellor to advance transformation in the institution but we do not agree with the decision to mollycoddle racists in the name of reconciliation.

Statement issued by NEHAWU Communications Department, October 19 2009

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