FF Plus youth leader Jan van Niekerk said although the students were found guilty of crimen injuria, after pleading guilty, it was a pity the matter could not be solved out of court.
"If the reconciliatory attitude of the University of the Free State's rector Jonathan Jansen at some stage was followed by all parties the case would have been less damaging for the workers, the students, the UFS and South Africa," he said.
The youth leader urged the public, the media, the UFS and the workers involved to regard the matter as closed.
National Prosecution Authority spokesman Mtunzi Mhaga said, “We welcome the sentencing as it fits the nature of the crime imposed by the four students,” he continued, “We are also happy that the matter has been finalised,” he said.
The four former students RC Malherbe, Johnny Roberts, Schalk van der Merwe and Danie Grobler were sentenced to a R20000 fine each or 12 months imprisonment in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's court after pleading guilty on Tuesday.
Human Rights Commission Spokesman, Vincent Moaga, said “The Commission welcomes the guilty plea and verdict arrived at by the court and also welcomes the fact that the accused have acknowledged and apologised for the wrongfulness of their actions.
However Moaga warned that this might be the end of one thing and the beginning of the other, “The sentence have no bearing on the Equality Court proceedings that have been instituted by the Commission on behalf of the complainants in the Bloemfontein High Court against the four former students, which proceedings have already commenced” he said.
Seth Maverick