afrol News, 29 February - The dust around South Africa's racist video saga still rides on, with victims of the alleged crime recounting their ordeal to the press. The four women cleaners said they could not realise their participation in the film.

Holding brief for the cleaners at the University of Free State (USF) campus, Lawyer Lesley Mokgoro said his clients had been fooled to believe that the video was meant for a competition.

They feel betrayed and shocked that recent film was completely different from what they saw last year.

"What happened is still very fresh and still very hurtful. It is, therefore, difficult for the cleaners to answer all the questions comprehensively," said Mokgoro.

Through an interpreter, the women who seemed to be filled with shy, said they knew the students in the Reitz residence very well.

The women said they did not feel strange to participate in the "competition", but they have been filled with bitterness after knowing the use of the video.

"We trusted these children, but that trust was completely broken," they complained.

Shot by students [Johnny Robert, Roelof Malherbe, Schalk van der Merwe and Danie Grobler] from the Reitz men's residence in USF campus, the video featured black cleaners kneeling down eating food which was urinated upon by white students. It led to angry protests by student groups in a country that has been trying to heal the racial discrimination caused by the apartheid rule.

Rector of USF, Frederick Fourie, condemned the content of the racial ticking bomb, disclosing that right steps would be taken against those responsible for the crime as soon as lawyers have finalise studying the case.

He said apart from expelling two final year students suspects from the campus, Reitz men's hostel would be closed as well.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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