Student clemency ruling welcomed by Archbishop: CEN 11.06.09 p 6. November 12, 2009
Posted by geoconger in Anglican Church of Southern Africa, Church of England Newspaper.trackback
The Archbishop of Cape Town has waded into the racially charged ‘Reitz affair,’ backing the University of the Free State’s (UFS) decision not to punish four white students for allegedly humiliating five black cleaners in a mock initiation ceremony.
On Oct 29 Archbishop Thabo Makgoba endorsed the “brave and bold” decision by university head Jonathan Jansen not to expel the students, residents of the Reitz men’s dormitory at the University. By exercising clemency, the university was creating a climate of mercy and tolerance that could transform the culture that had spawned the incident, the archbishop said.
The four white students were accused of humiliating five black cleaning staff in an initiation-type ceremony which they filmed. The cleaners are seen in the video on their hands and knees eating food which had apparently been urinated into by a white student.
The incident touched a racial and political nerve within South Africa and criminal charges were brought against the four students, while disciplinary proceedings were initiated by the university.
However, the newly appointed UFS rector Prof. Jonathan Jansen, a black South African, announced the university was withdrawing disciplinary charges against them in a gesture of reconciliation.
The move was denounced by the ruling African National Congress party, while Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande called it a “superficial tradeoff which further impugns the dignity of the victims.”
However, Archbishop Makgoba disagreed, saying the decision to pursue “restorative justice” was in the best interests of those concerned, as well as for all of South Africa.
The “aim of restorative justice is to bring about solutions that go far beyond addressing wrong-doing, and instead aim to bring healing and wholeness – first, to the victims of injustice, but also to the entire underlying situation. It recognises that sometimes wrong-doing is only a symptom of something greater that is not as it should be, and that needs to be addressed too,” the archbishop said.
Bad acts can become the “crucible in which new beginnings are forged; and the wrong-doing is transformed into a stepping stone to a better future,” he said.
“Christians follow a God of both justice and redemption, who promises new beginnings for those who repent and acknowledge their wrongdoings; and who calls for forgiveness in response,” the archbishop wrote.
He offered his prayers and support to Prof. Jansen saying he hopes the university will “succeed in his pursuit of a just and comprehensive resolution that ultimately benefits not only all those involved in this shameful incident, but also the wider university community – and especially its students, so that they may go on to become reconciling leaders for the good of our nation.”
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