Students in the Dagbreek residence at Stellenbosch University have apologised for past transgressions against black and coloured people in the surrounding community. They say Apartheid activities performed by former members of the hostel could have created a platform for politicians such as Hendrik Verwoerd and John Vorster to legitimise Apartheid theology. Both Verwoerd and Vorster were Dagbreek residents during their studies at Stellenbosch University.

An apartheid motion committee Dagbreek set up has unearthed information confirming that students from the hostel attacked people and their homes in “coloured and black communities” in a violent act of repression in 1939, and afterwards refused to hand in their weapons to the government.

The Dagbreek residents said they assumed responsibility for the events of the past and the residence’s involvement, and wished to apologise on behalf of the institution “for our disobedience and lovelessness that led to our actions”.

Here is the current primarius, Pieter Nel:

No healing and no restoration will happen if we don’t seek forgiveness and apologise for apartheid. As a house, we decided to call together a committee to do research about this, and our involvement in apartheid. We found a couple of points where we as a house were involved, and for which we need to apologise. Dagbreek is sometimes given a hard time in the press because of our past, and we need to right the wrong. I believe an apology has the power to affect a nation and bring forth redemption and restoration in relationships between races.

[Source: News24]