[intro]A writer for The Journalist, Thabang Moselane, finds out students’ thoughts on the Shimla Park incident. [/intro]

The images of white spectators beating up black protesters at Shimla Park in February went viral and struck at the heart of the university that has preached tolerance and non-racialism for the past few years. Will the University of The Free State (UFS) ever be the same again after the incident that took place on 22 February 2016? The answer is being debated everywhere on campus.

 

KopanoKopano Sepeng
2nd year Media Studies & Journalism

“Things are not going to be better anytime soon”

PatrickLeo-Patrick Mac Kay
1st year Politics

“I don’t think UFS will ever be the same again…You don’t see white people and black people walk together”

ChristeleyChristeley Bouwer
2nd year BA Management

“I sincerely hope things will go back to being the same”

RefilweRefilwe Motsumi
2nd year Law

“Racial discrimination has always been the elephant in the room”

SimphiweSimphiwe Shabalala
3rd year Education

“Some of us are still scared… we don’t know who is planning what”

Stacey-MafuraStacey Mafura
3rd year Human Genetics

“Someone can shout and stand up and raise their voice… but at the end of the day it’s going to go back to the way it was”

WernerWerner Smith
2nd year Media Studies and Journalism

“Students just want to get along”

JunaidJunaid Boughan
2nd year Education

“Many people have been beat up and nothing has been done about it”