I FIND Professor Jonathan Jansen's recent announcement about forgiving of the "Reitz racists" a clever move wrongly timed.

I FIND Professor Jonathan Jansen's recent announcement about forgiving of the "Reitz racists" a clever move wrongly timed.

What came to my mind immediately was, for how long are we going to talk forgiveness and why should blacks always be on the receiving end?

Is it not time to give cases like this the attention they deserve?

Prof, please answer the following questions:

l Don't you think the decision you took means that you actually want the court to drop the case, or that the university is no longer worried about the matter?

Don't you think this means you actually downplay the existence of racism in that institution?

It would be fine to forgive those boys, but that should happen after the court has found them guilty or otherwise.

l Are you going to do the same with black students who have been expelled from your varsity as a result of financial problems?

l As a former employee of the university who was expelled as a result of the same incident, am I going to get the same indemnity as these racist students?

Please feel free to send me a letter of reappointment.

Prof, it seems you were not properly briefed about the whole matter. I am a former student of that institution and, fortunately, I was there when Reitz was formulated.

I was one of the students who resided in the hostel that was closed as a result of racial tensions, and the same people who advised you on this matter are the ones who divided us into Reitz (for whites) and Khayalami (for blacks).

I must be honest, I have lost confidence in you, Prof, and now I can see why they chose you over other candidates.

Mogale Mphahlele

Free State