Cape Town — The Cabinet yesterday expressed "strong displeasure" at the decision by University of the Free State vice-chancellor Prof Jonathan Jansen to drop the internal charges against four white students who humiliated black workers at the university.

The students from Reitz residence -- two of whom have graduated -- still face criminal charges.

Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande has written to Jansen calling on him to explain his decision and to initiate an inclusive process and to address racism at the university.

Cabinet spokesman Themba Maseko said the Cabinet believed the process that led to the dropping of the charges "was flawed in that it did not follow the established norm of getting the perpetrators to admit guilt, to apologise to the victims before any charges could be dropped, and to initiate a reconciliation process. Cabinet would be the first (to) promote reconciliation.

"However, reconciliation involves both parties moving towards one another and must include some indication of remorse on the part of the perpetrators. The manner in which this matter was handled suggests that the rights of the perpetrators have been given preference over the dignity and rights of the victims."

Meanwhile, Frans Cronje, deputy CEO of the South African Institute of Race Relations -- of which Jansen is president -- called on Jansen's critics to back off. He praised Jansen's vision for a transformed university, which he outlined in his inaugural speech on Friday.

"To his credit, Prof Jansen has refused to be intimidated or bullied, particularly where he was taken to task by politicians. He must have foreseen the controversy he was courting but had the courage of leadership to proceed regardless, on the grounds that he believed his action to be in the best long-term interests of the university," Cronje said.

The institute said the four students should be sentenced to cleaning public toilets.

In a letter to Jansen, the Higher Education and Training Department's director-general, Mary Metcalfe, said "any negative consequences of the decisions will need to be resolved in the institution as soon as possible if you are to achieve the justice and reconciliation to which you have committed yourself. It is our view that you will only be able to achieve this with the participation of all constituencies on campus, and through the governance structures of (the university). It is our wish to support you in this process."

Jansen said he would not become embroiled in "a media exchange" with Nzimande. "As one who worked with Dr Nzimande during the heady days of education policy making for a future SA, I retain my respect for him. It is ... not appropriate for a university vice-chancellor to engage in a media exchange with the (minister) . The situation calls for constraint, respect and an attempt at mutual understanding," he said.