SOUTH Africa was embroiled in a new racial flare-up yesterday, after a white student was filmed urinating on a black student’s books at one of the top universities in the country.

Stellenbosch University, which described the incident as “racist”, said it has immediately suspended the undergraduate student, whom it did not name.

According to a video circulating on social media, the white student barged into the first-year black student’s room at a hall of residence in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, and urinated on his belongings.

The university “strongly condemns the destructive, hurtful and racist incident”, said Stellenbosch in a statement.

Vice-chancellor Wim de Villiers said: “We are appalled by this type of behaviour. Such conduct will not be tolerated at the university.”

South Africa has been roiled by a string of racial disputes that exposed deep divisions 28 years after the end of white-minority rule.

The South African Students’ Congress said the victim was asleep “when he heard noise in his room”.

“When he woke up, the racist white boy was urinating on his study desk, books and laptop.”

Asked what he was doing, the “racist response was that it is what they do to black boys”.

The university’s students representative council said the incident is an example of “the harm that follows marginalised communities and, in this case, black students”.

Protests were held on the campus yesterday, gathering students of all races.

Many South Africans, including former students, took to social media to vent their anger about Stellenbosch, saying the university – regularly ranked as one of the best in Africa – has an entrenched problem with elitism and racism.

De Villiers said: “We acted swiftly and decisively to uphold our commitment to a culture of inclusivity.”

“What happened… is not acceptable. No student has the right to diminish another student’s human dignity or rights this way.” – AFP, May 17, 2022.