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07 August 2018
Reitz the road to reconciliation nearly a decade later
Brugbouers Die Reitz-video en die pad na versoeningis published by Penguin Books
People who work to reconcile communities, to bring about change and transformation, need to do more than get people to sit and talk. They need to go on and make something work afterwards, said the former UFS Dean of Student Affairs Dr Rudi Buys. 

Dr Buys launched his book, Brugbouers Die Reitz-video en die pad na versoening, on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS). 

Challenging peace, bringing people together

“Bridge-builders bring people together and drive forward a process that challenges peace," said Dr Buys. 

The book talks about the 2008 controversial Reitz-video that surfaced at the UFS when white male students demeaned and humiliated five black university workers in 2007 at a campus residence. The degrading treatment of the workers, recorded on film, led to racial conflicts at UFS and condemnation worldwide.

At the time Dr Buys was approached as a reconciliation consultant and later became the Dean of Student Affairs. 

“It is my picture,” says former dean of students

The book tells the stories of four student leaders during the turbulent time that followed. Dr Buys said he added his own story to these, explaining what his process was as an Afrikaner who was challenged by the events. “It is my picture and what I experienced while I was part of the UFS and the process here at the time.”  

He said the book was not an analysis of what happened. 

Dr Buys said one of the things that stood out from the experiences of the student leaders was that their internal struggles with issues of racism were more similar than different. “The world would have us believe that it is something different.”

“Change will not come in one generation”

Taking part in the discussion, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Francis Petersen, indicated that the team who led the earlier process of transformation and integration had done excellent work. However, he warned that nobody should have the illusion that was enough. He said in a society where issues were profoundly entrenched, change would not come in one generation. 

Prof Petersen said initiatives such as the constant debates, dialogues and conversations at student level and the current Thought Leadership Series were essential.  “More of these engagements should happen,” Prof Petersen said.

News Archive

Research chair into Higher Education gets boost for five more years
2017-11-21

 Description: Prof Melanie Walker, Research chair into Higher Education gets boost for five more years Tags: Prof Melanie Walker, Research chair into Higher Education gets boost for five more years

Prof Melanie Walker, Director of the Centre for Research on
Higher Education and Development (CRHED).
Photo: Supplied

The research Chair in Higher Education and Human Development within the Centre for Research on Higher Education and Development (CRHED) at the University of the Free State has secured funding for another five years. It follows a favourable evaluation by the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) of the research project at the UFS. 

The Director of the Centre, Prof Melanie Walker, says she is delighted by the recognition of the Chair's hard work and significant productivity. “This new round of funding secures the centre and its activities for the next five years.” 

Under the auspices of the Chair, research is conducted on higher education, inequalities and social justice, and how or if universities foster the human capabilities and aspirations of students. In essence, the research studies whether higher education makes a difference to the lives of students, their families and communities. Prof Walker says the Chair's projects look at issues of access, participation and transitions into work, as well as gender, race and social class. The research uses quantitative and qualitative methods and includes a strand of participatory research projects with students.

Prof Walker says through the Chair research project, and the Centre, researchers have developed extensive international links and produced international quality research and publications. “We foster high-quality PhD graduates as a new generation of social science academics.” The Chair has in the first five years produced 10 PhDs and four master’s students. 

The project in the next five years will continue with its focus on higher education and human development research. Prof Walker says all the research efforts seek to contribute to more justice in society and universities and to contribute to debates, policy and practices in higher education and a scholarly knowledge base. 

The Research Chairs Initiative aims to improve the research capacity at public universities to produce high-quality postgraduate students, research and innovative outputs. The assessors looked at features such as the number of students the research entity had trained and how many publications the research team had produced. 

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