The University of the Free State is under a cloud again - one of its students has been arrested for an allegedly racist attack on a high school girl.

Gordon Idris and Werner Scholtz, both 20, were released on bail of R1000 each in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court last week on charges of attempted murder and crimen injuria. They allegedly dragged 17-year-old Pinky Mokemane next to their moving car.

Last night, UFS rector Jonathan Jansen said the university would await the court decision before deciding on action against its student.

"If the UFS student was involved, and found guilty, he will be put through a tough disciplinary process with the real possibility of expulsion. We have, of course, to wait on the court findings but I can assure you that, if required, we will act firmly as in several cases before this one," he said.

Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande's spokeswoman, Ranjeni Munusamy, said Nzimande, who is abroad, had been concerned that there was danger of such attacks because the matter [of the "Reitz 4"] had not been resolved.

"The minister is worried about racial incidents on that campus," she said. The department would look into the latest incident, she added.

According to reports, Mokemane was waiting outside the Langenhoven Park townhouse complex for her sister to open the gate when the two men arrived in a car, without a remote control to open the gate.

When the gate opened the man on the passenger side allegedly grabbed Mokemane by an arm and the car pulled away, dragging her with it. She was allegedly called a k*****.

Mokemane was bruised on her arm and legs during the incident. Her brother-in-law accompanied her to a police station to lay charges against the students.

The arrests come barely after the dust has settled on the so-called Reitz 4 initiation video controversy last year. Four students from the now closed Reitz resident were accused of making the racist video in which cleaners were made, among other things, to eat food said to have been urinated on.

RC Malherbe, Johnny Roberts, Schalk van der Merwe and Danie Grobler were charged with crimen injuria.

News of the video caused national outrage, just months after Jansen took over as vice-chancellor and rector.

Jansen caused further outrage when, in a gesture of reconciliation, he forgave the so-called Reitz 4 and invited them to return to campus.

Idris and Scholtz are to appear in court again today. - Additional reporting Sapa