The University of the Free State has dropped charges against the four students who sparked an outcry for feeding residence staff urine, the Star newspaper reported on Saturday.

The university's new rector and vice-chancellor Dr Jonathan Jansen apologised to the country for what students Johnny Roberts, Danie Grobler, Schalk van der Merwe and RC Malherbe had done to residence workers at the Reitz residence in 2007, the Star reported.

The four made Rebecca Adams, Laukaziemma Koko, Noom Phororo, Nitta Ntseng and David Molete ? all cleaners at the residence ? eat meat which had been urinated upon. They videotaped the incident.

Jansen was speaking at his inauguration as the university's rector in Bloemfontein on Friday.

The decision was part of his blueprint to transform the university.

The university, he said would also pay reparations to Adams, Phororo, Ntseng and Molete.

The video showed the four white male students making the four black, elderly female workers down a bottle of beer, run a race, play rugby and then kneel and eat meat which had been urinated upon.

Jansen under fire

But Jansen was criticised for short-circuiting a judicial process.

Advocate Mothusi Lepheana, provincial manager of the Human Rights Commission said the commission would still pursue its "precedent-setting" civil action against the university and the four students.

"We're finalising our documents and might be serving those to documents in the Bloemfontein High Court next week."

Jansen also announced major changes to hostel residences from 2010.

He said from next year, the practice of initiation will be illegal and the consumption alcohol in residences will come to an end.

He says any senior student who lays his hand on a first-year student will not only be brought before a disciplinary committee, but will face criminal prosecution in the courts.