THIS gives you an idea of the relentlessness with which Free State rector (and The Times columnist) Jonathan Jansen will seek to promote tolerance.
ANC Youth League leader, Thebe Meeko, was the firebrand who said that Jansen was “a criminal like these racist young students,” adding “We agree with the president of the ANC, shoot and kill a criminal.”
Here’s Jansen’s account of how he defused the hostility:

“At the end of this meeting with Mr Malema I said, as if I didn’t know who it was, I said, where is Mr [Meeko]. He put up his hand, and I took him into my office. He stood at the far side of the office I said come towards me and he was very hesitant to do that. I said don’t worry, come, and he came. I went towards him and I took my two arms and I put them around him and I said ‘I need you to know that I love you very much and I think you will still become a good leader’.
“I wish I could describe to you that emotional moment for him and for me. I wish I could tell you the full apology that came quickly. And I wish I could tell you the sense that he had and I had, that there is another way for getting out of our troubles.”
Wow. This man has got it.

Related posts:

1. The way has been cleared for Jansen to tackle university racism
2. Now Malema backs Jansen … but for how long?
3. Youth League statement on Jansen – full text
4. Jonathan Jansen and the four phases of controversy
5. Cope suspends youth leader, Anele Mda – full text