This is unfortunately an apology for the perpetrators of racism
While Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande called on Jansen to "suspend" his decision and convene an urgent meeting with all stakeholders, disgruntled students and trade union federation Cosatu yesterday went as far as to call for Jansen's dismissal.
Students have threatened to go on the rampage if allegedly racist students return, and Cosatu has accused Jansen of attempting to influence their court hearing.
The four students - Johnny Roberts, RC Malherbe, Danie Grobler and Schalk van der Merwe - will appear in the Bloemfontein Regional Court on Monday to face crimen injuria charges. They also face charges in the Equality Court.
The students are accused of urinating in food that they gave to five female cleaners as part of a 2007 video, which they made to protest against racial integration at the Reitz residence.
Beeld newspaper reports that the so-called Reitz four have requested the Free State director of public prosecutions to drop a charge of crimen injuria against them.
Their lawyer, Christo Dippenaar, confirmed to the Afrikaans daily that he had handed in a written request to advocate Andre du Toit, SC.
Last week Jansen caused a stir when he said two of the four students who made the video would be allowed to finish their degrees. The other two students have graduated.
Cosatu's Free State spokesman, Sam Mashinini, said in a statement yesterday that Jansen had misled the country when he claimed "he had consulted with all the stakeholders, including Cosatu, before taking a decision to drop the charges against the students".
"We believe the intention is basically to try and influence the court case that is coming next week Monday," he said.
Nzimande said Jansen's decision was "grossly insensitive" and would cause further racial divisions in the country.
He said in a statement yesterday that Jansen had taken it upon himself "to absolve the perpetrators on behalf of the victims and compensate the victims on behalf of the perpetrators".
Nzimande said: "The view of the department is that we cannot allow victims of racism to be unconditional, unilateral forgivers. This would constitute a superficial trade-off, which further impugns the dignity of the victims and is, unfortunately, an apology for the perpetrators of racism."
The minister said that during his visit to the university last month, he found the victimised workers were "still scarred" and had asked to be redeployed from the residences as they were still "taunted" by some white students.
In his column in The Times today, Jansen, stands by his decision and says, "... the deeper issues of racism and bigotry ... will not be resolved in the courts".
Contacted for a reply to Nzimande's demand yesterday, Jansen declined to comment, but said he would not back down from his decision as he had made it in the spirit of reconciliation.
"I am aware of what the minister has said, but I will not say anything right now," he said.
Meanwhile, students at the university started a Facebook group, called "Jansen is a sell out", in which they attack the vice-chancellor.
About 400 students had joined the group by yesterday.
Mass demonstrations have also been planned by student bodies.
One student said: "JJ [Jonathan Jansen] needs to go back to wherever he came from. Forgiveness, my foot."
Another called Jansen a "snake", adding "we ought to make sure that he resigns".
Yet another said: "We are always singing the forgiveness anthem, which is our biggest downfall."
The Facebook group calls for students from other universities to join and put pressure on Jansen to resign, or retract his statement.
Jansen's work to integrate the campus was yesterday unwinding.
A move to join the university's two racially divided choirs was unravelling.
The two choirs had sang together for the first time during Jansen's inauguration last week.
Spokesman for the "black choir", Sechaba Ntoi, said after his decision to allow the "racist" students back to the university, they "reject Jansen's request" to form one choir.
"As black students we really feel let down by Jansen," said Ntoi.
But Dr Franklin Sonn, chancellor of the UFS, said he supported Jansen's stance.
"This is a man who had strongly condemned racism and sexist attitudes at the university. I couldn't have supported the decision if it was one-sided, but I have satisfied myself that the decision addressed all sides.
"It is only the media that missed Jansen's commitment to give [support to] those mothers [the cleaners]. He had banned any practices that sought to promote racism," said Sonn.
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