The recent racial abuses that have occurred at the University of the Free State (UFS), regarding the ‘initiation’ of five black hostel cleaners and students from Reitz residence are horrid. How in their right minds could these students feed dog food, mixed with garlic and urine to someone who has cleaned their rooms, befriended them, and looked after them? It simply isn’t understandable until you look at the segregation at UFS and the outlook of the parents whose students are involved in the matter.
One of the fathers of the accused had this to say: “Why should our sons be punished for fooling around?” He continued by saying, “When race is involved, their lives have to be ruined, for what? We all make mistakes.” Nonsense! These acts were deliberate, never were they a ‘mistake’. Furthermore, ‘fooling around’ shows that one doesn’t care about the abuses on the workers. There is clearly a pro-racial stance taking place, and this must not influence the outcome of the students’ punishments.
These actions were deliberate and serious with the intensions of humiliating and degrading another human being, who is simply of different colour. Actions like these cannot go unpunished.
Even though two of the guilty have been excluded from campus, criminal charges must be enforced on all of them. This has created a national and international uproar; therefore it must be dealt with properly, precisely and unmercifully.
Thomas Mills
I totally agree with you post, just to add on that the boys never apologised. Which I feel ends all discussion about them, they should be thrown into jail end of story. Adding on, as much as I would like to pin the blame on the parents, the boys are old enough to be able to think right from wrong.
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