University
critics 'should stand down' - 22 October
Critics of the University of the Free State's recent decision
to pardon the "Reitz four" should stand down, the
South African Institute of Race Relations said on Thursday.
Although critics may disagree with UFS Rector Jonathan
Jansen's inauguration comment on one point, almost every other
announcement he made might lead to the transformation of
higher education in South Africa, the institute's deputy CEO
Frans Cronje said in a statement. "It is now time for the
professor's critics to stand down". - IOL
website
Free
State joins the new SA - 23 October
Mail & Guardian website
Jansen
ready to talk - 25 October
Intense public pressure has pushed the University of Free
State's new vice-chancellor, Professor Jonathan Jansen, to
"reopen" discussions about his pardon of the
students accused of making a shocking racist video. It is not
clear whether the talks will prevent two of the four former
Reitz residents, RC Malherbe and Schalk van der Merwe,
returning to the university to complete their studies. - Times
Live website
Top
board to discuss Jansen's decision - 26 October
University of the Free State vice- chancellor Prof Jonathan
Jansen's decision to withdraw the university's complaint
against four students expelled last year over a racist
incident will be discussed at a Higher Education SA (Hesa)
board meeting tomorrow. It was important that the matter was
considered fully by the Hesa board before it made a comment on
Jansen's move because there were "important principles at
stake in this issue, particularly those of institutional
autonomy and public accountability", said board chairman
Prof Theuns Eloff. - Business
Day website
Four
claim they were not allowed to apologise - 24 October
The lawyer for the so-called Reitz Four claims that a trade
union has prevented his clients from making a personal apology
to the five cleaners they humiliated in a racist video.
Christo Dippenaar said the National Education Health and
Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) had prevented Roelof Malherbe,
Johnny Roberts, Schalk van der Merwe and Danie Grobler from
making a personal apology. - IOL
website
Reitz
4 : 'restorative justice' brought up - 26 October
The State is emphatic that it will not withdraw its
prosecution of the so-called "Reitz Four" - but it
is considering resolving the racially charged case through
"restorative justice". If this approach is used, the
men will not be criminally convicted but will make up for
their alleged offences with community service. - IOL
website
Reitz
case postponed to 2010 - 26 October
The crimen injuria case of the so-called Reitz Four has been
postponed to February 2010. State prosecutor Ben Mulutsi on
Monday asked the Bloemfontein Regional Court to postpone the
matter to consider representations made by the defence which
were received on Wednesday, October 21. - News24
website
Reitz
: Magistrate slams media - 26 October
The media have been ordered to leave the accused and witnesses
in the crimen injuria trial of the so-called "Reitz
Four" alone. Bloemfontein Regional Court Chief Magistrate
Mziwonke Hinxa warned that the court would not like to
"charge the media" in the matter. This was after
State prosecutor Ben Mulutsi told the court he had a problem
with journalists approaching the witnesses in the case. - News24
website
Jansen
'a racist that should be killed' - 27 October
The Democratic Alliance is today laying charges against the
Free State ANC Youth League Chairperson, Thebe Meeko, for hate
speech and intimidation and the DA in the Free State will be
laying a criminal charge of intimidation. Meeko is quoted as
saying that University of the Free State vice chancellor
Professor Jonathan Jansen should be "shot and killed
because he is a racist", and that "like President
Jacob Zuma when he said the police must meet fire with fire
[referring to police shooting armed criminals], the
shoot-to-kill approach must also apply to all the racists,
including Jansen - because he is a racist". - IOL
website
Bloemfontein
ANC youth league statements in Equality Court - 27 October
Statements made by the African National Congress Youth
League's
Bloemfontein
leader are on the roll at the Equality Court
in
Cape Town. The Democratic Alliance is laying charges of hate speech and
intimidation against Thebe Meeko. - Eye
Witness News website
Youth
league claims misunderstanding - 27 October
The ANC Youth League says statements by its
Bloemfontein
chair were misinterpreted. The league’s provincial
chair Thebe Meeko said on Monday Free State University Rector
Jonathan Jansen was a racist who should be killed. Meeko said
his comments were taken out of context. - Eye
Witness News website
DA
lays further charges against ANCYL Free State leader - 28
October
The Democratic Alliance on Wednesday laid charges of
intimidation against Free State African National Congress
Youth League chairperson Thebe Meeko. - Mail
& Guardian website
Apology
would be a first step, says Jansen - 28 October
Signs that four former University of the Free State (UFS)
students, expelled last year after their alleged involvement
in a racist incident, were considering apologising are "an
important first step", says UFS vice- chancellor Prof
Jonathan Jansen. Bloemfontein's chief magistrate, Mziwonke
Hinxa, postponed the criminal case against the four - RC
Malherbe, Johnny Roberts, Schalk van der Merwe and Danie
Grobler - on Monday after the prosecution asked for time to
consider representations that the matter be settled out of
court through "alternative dispute resolution". - Business
Day website
Malema
: 'We cannot feed Jansen to the enemy' - 29 October
African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) leader Julius
Malema has come out in full support of University of the Free
State (UFS) vice-chancellor Jonathan Jansen remaining in his
position. "We do not agree with any call that he must
go", Malema told reporters after a meeting with Jansen,
who has come under widespread criticism for offering a pardon
to the so-called Reitz Four. "Jansen is one of our
own", he later told students. - Mail
& Guardian website