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News broke last week of several secret rooms at one of Stellenbosch University’s male residences.
The News24 report revealed that when university management accessed the rooms at the Wilgenhof residence, they found a disturbing selection of drawings and photographs that appeared to show decades of assault and sexual abuse at the all-male residence.
The university said in a statement that it “undertook an audit of spaces and facilities at the Wilgenhof residence”, during which time, the items were found. While the university did not release any further details about the nature of the items, News24 reported that graphic images, sketches and written descriptions of “punishment” inflicted in this residence are among the items found behind the locked doors of Wilgenhof residence, with rooms painted in black and disturbing graffiti all over.
Reference was also made to the “horrific abuse” to which some of the residents were subjected.
News24 has obtained pictures showing what Stellenbosch University found at Wilgenhof
Among the items are crude drawings depicting what appears to be male sexual assault & a log book detailing activities of the disciplinary committee called the Nagligte. https://t.co/HALcBh4ywi
— News24
(@News24) January 25, 2024
According to News24, the Wilgenhof Alumni Association said in response to SU’s statement that the items “were found in an archive spanning a period of more than 100 years”.
“The content forms part of Wilgenhof’s history and has therefore been preserved.
“As is often the case with historical artifacts, some of the content may offend or be misunderstood if not explained in the correct historical context,” the letter said.
“We contacted SU and offered to provide the necessary historical context in this regard. However, we have not seen the items and therefore cannot fully comment on the content.”
Zethu Gqola read the pay-walled News24 article for all of us on TikTok:
Watch on TikTok
The university stated that a panel consisting of the university’s Deputy Registrar of Governance, Ethics, and Compliance, an experienced independent Advocate from the Cape Bar, and a former experienced university executive in higher education will review the items and advise on the next steps.
‘The disturbing items have been removed and stored for safekeeping. These two rooms have been repainted and will be used for their intended purpose,’ SU said in a statement.
The panel are expected to submit a report by the end of February, according to IOL.
The university’s spokesperson Martin Viljoens said the issues at Wilgenhof were no secret and that what prompted the panel probe was the extent of the material which had been discovered during the audit.
“The fact that there have been issues at Wilgenhof is not news. It’s not as if (university) management is denying any of that. The issue is the contents which were found in those rooms. That’s what the panel is looking at,” said Viljoen.
Qabaka in response said: “We looked at the minutes (when the discovery was made in March 2020), none of the current SRC was in office. This was four years ago. (At the time) this was raised with the management of the university and the Centre for Student Affairs.
“What we were told this year, as all of this was unfolding, was that there had been an investigation that took place, it was quite a lengthy one, and there was a report written after the investigation.
Qabaka said that the report was not shared with the SRC.
The university is working hard to do damage control, with Professor Wim de Villiers, SU Rector, assuring staff, students, and parents that the university is taking the matter seriously and following the institution’s approved policies and practices.
Meanwhile, RNews approached several former residents for comment about the disturbing items found at Wilgenhof and their purpose, but the requests were repeatedly firmly turned down.
“It’s safer that way,” said one of the former residents.
A few ex-Maties have spoken out about the so-called “mystery” that has always hung over the Wilgenhof res:
“I was at one of Wilgenhof’s sister residences and the one thing that has always been true about Wilgenhof is that its residents never talk about what happens at their residence,” says this ex-Matie on social media.
Another social media user says “even though not everyone has knew everything not, many already know about something for a long time”.
Some of the girls from the university have also commented on social media that they know to steer clear of the Wilgenhof men.
The SRC even confirmed that there had been complaints from students staying at the residence as recently as last year, with Qabaka saying that it was important that whistleblowers be protected from intimidation.
Shjoe, SU is getting really hot under that magnifying glass.
