'Racial tension in SA is up'

Racial tensions in SA appear to have risen during the past month, the SA Institute of Race Relations said.

It was reacting to a case of racial abuse at the University of the Free State (UFS).

Deputy chief executive officer at the institute Frans Cronje said events over the last month raised concerns about whether SA was able to capitalise on the general improvement in race relations the institute had monitored over the past years.

He referred to the Skierlik shootings in the North West, where a young white man allegedly went on a shooting rampage that claimed several black lives, the Forum for Black Journalists ejecting their white colleagues from a recent meeting - and the UFS case.

Cronje said civil and criminal charges should be brought against the culprits in the UFS matter.

He said the organisation was shocked by the video which shows a white student urinating on pieces of meat before giving it to the university's black cleaning staff to eat - as part of a mock initiation ritual.

"Actions such as these shown on the video will do great damage to race relations in South Africa."

Cronje said much of the hard work done to improve race relations after 1994 was undone by these latest actions.

"It probably sets us back a significant amount of time," he said.

Cronje said it was important to set a precedent that racial abuse would carry stiff penalties.

He said the students should be suspended pending disciplinary hearings which could lead to their expulsion from the university.

He said further steps should to be taken against those responsible for the abuse.

"Serious civil and possibly even criminal penalties would send a clear message that racist abuse will not be tolerated".

Cronje said it was also important that the broader community should see that justice was done in the matter. - Sapa