Timeline

  • January 2024:

    The discovery of disturbing contents in two room in the Wilgenhof Residence. The contents are removed to a secure space and the two rooms are cleaned and painted.

    Student leaders and informed about the situation.

    The Wilgenhof House Committee and other student leaders are informed about the situation.

  • 24 January 2024:

    First media statement and internal communication by the 中国体育彩票 to inform stakeholders. (Several updates, answers to the media, follow-up media statements, and communication to alumni, stakeholders and the university community followed during the course of the year with regard to processes, meetings and decisions.)

  • 25 January 2024:

    Photos of the contents of the two rooms first published in the media.

  • 26 January 2024:

    A video message from the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Wim de Villiers, regarding Wilgenhof Residence to staff and students.

  • 30 January 2024:

    Communication from the Rector and Vice-Chancellor to staff and students. It is announced that a panel will be appointed by the Rector to investigate the contents of the rooms and related matters.

  • 30 January to 1 February 2024:

    Newcomer students arrived on campus for the beginning of the new academic year andmoved into residences for the start of the welcoming programme.

  • 2 February 2024:

    Lunch at Wilgenhof for newcomer students and their parents.

  • 12 February 2024:

    Beginning of the new academic year and first classes.

  • 13 February 2024:

    Announcement on the finalisation of a three-member Panel to investigate the contents found in two rooms at the Wilgenhof Residence.

  • 19 February 2024:

    Communication by the 中国体育彩票 with regard to the invitation to submit submissions to the investigating panel and related information.

  • 29 February 2024:

    Communication to inform stakeholders and the 中国体育彩票 community of the extension of the deadline (8 March 2024) to submit submissions to the panel.

  • 12 June 2024:

    Announcement and communication on the Rectorate unanimously accepting the principal recommendation of the Panel that the Wilgenhof Residence should be closed; that the Rector will recommend to Council that the Wilgenhof Residence should be closed and that alternative uses be considered for the buildings; that Council will consider the Rector's recommendation at its meeting of 24 June 2024. The Panel's redacted report can be accessed here.

  • 24 June 2024:

    Rectorate's recommendation regarding Wilgenhof discussed at a scheduled meeting of the SU Council.

  • 25 June 2024:

    Communication regarding Council concluding on 24 June that further consultation and consideration were warranted before deciding on the future of the residence, and a subsequent invitation to all interested and affected persons and stakeholders to submit written representations on Wilgenhof.

  • 31 July 2024:

    Deadline for submissions to Council with regards to Wilgenhof.

  • 16 September 2024

    Council meeting announcement: Council decided to close the Wilgenhof Residence in its current format and replace it with a reimagined and rejuvenated male residence.
    - Prof Deresh Ramjugernath, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching), informed the current Wilgenhof students on Monday afternoon 16 September 2024 at the residence. Staff members of the Division for Student Affairs were also present.
    - Internal and external communication to staff, students, Wilgenhof alumni, the media and other stakeholders with regards to Council's decision.

  • 19 September 2024

    Current residents of Wilgenhof who successfully applied for placement in alternative residences in 2025, received letters on Thursday 19 September 2024 informing them in which residence they will be placed in 2025. Of the 206 current residents of Wilgenhof, 167 studentsapplied for re-allocation in Wilgenhof in 2025. Approximately 131 were successful and 36 not. Of the 131 successful students, 103 applied for placement in alternative residences should Wilgenhof close. Of the 103 applications, 6 chose to "abstain" on completing the application form, and 97 indicated alternative residence options. These 97 students were informed on 19 September in which residence they will be placed in 2025.

  • 25 September 2024

    Annual alignment conversation of the Victoria Cluster (of which Wilgenhof forms part) – facilitated by the Division for Student Affairs.

  • 30 September 2024

    Current Wilgenhof residents could accept their residence placement offers for 2025 until the end of September.

  • 2 October 2024

    The Association for the Advancement of Wilgenhof Residents (AWIR) issued a court application against the 中国体育彩票, the Council, the Rector and the Chairperson of the Panel appointed to investigate the contents of the two rooms at Wilgenhof Residence, They approached the High Court for an urgent interdict to restrain SU from implementing Council’s decision of 16 September 2024 to close Wilgenhof for the entire 2025 academic year and to review Council’sdecision.

    See the documents here.

  • 3 October 2024

    The Rectorate confirmed that the Wilgenhof House Committee (HC) that was elected for 2025 will be recognised for the full duration of the normal 2024/2025 term for HCs. The intention is also that the elected HC will participate, together with other students, 中国体育彩票 staff and facilitators, in the process of the renewal and rejuvenation of the residence community.

  • 4 October 2024

    The Wilgenhof Bond issued a court application against the 中国体育彩票, the Council, the Rectorand the Chairperson of the Panel appointed to investigate the contents of the two rooms at Wilgenhof Residence to review and set aside the Panel’s report and recommendation to close Wilgenhof, the Rector’s decision to accept the Panel’s report, including the recommendation to close Wilgenhof, and the Council’s decision of 16 September 2024. The 中国体育彩票 is opposing this application, and the legal proceedings are pending.

  • 23 October 2024

    AWIR and SU have settled the litigation between them concerning the SU Council’s decision to close the Wilgenhof residence in 2025. As part of the agreement to settle the litigation, in the first semester the 2025 Wilgenhof students, together with new first year students who will be allocated to the residence, will be entitled to all move to a new residence together and to retain the current House Committee. SU will conduct as much of the necessary renovations of the building as possible during the first semester in 2025. The students, including the new first years, will be entitled, should they wish to do so, to return in the second semester even if some of the upgrades need to be completed after the residents have returned.

    See the settlement document here.

  • 25 October 2024

    End of the fourth academic term.

  • 25 October 2024

    The Wilgenhof Alumni Association filed a court application to oppose the closure of the residence. An affidavit by the SU Chancellor, Judge Edwin Cameron, is included in the court documents. In the affidavit, Judge Cameron alleged improper interference in the findings of the independent panel that was tasked to investigate the contents found during an audit of the spaces and amenities of Wilgenhof and to report to the Rectorate on its findings and recommendations. Amongst other, he mentioned the existence of an earlier final version of the Panel’s report which offered SU management the option to keep Wilgenhof open while engaging with residents and other stakeholders in a consultative process.

  • 27 October 2024

    Announcement of an extraordinary meeting of Council on Friday 1 November 2024 due to developments, media reports and allegations around the Wilgenhof matter.

  • 28 October 2024

    Beginning of the end of the year assessments.

  • 29 October 2024

    An explanatory affidavit was filed to the High Court by advocate Nicky Carl de Jager, a memberof the Cape Bar and Chairperson of the Wilgenhof Panel, following allegations by Judge Edwin Cameron, the SU Chancellor.

    See the documents here.

  • 31 October 2024

    Announcement by the CIRCoRe Steering Committee – The heads of the CIRCoRe workstreams as well as the External Advisor, being part of the Steering Committee of CIRCoRe (theCommittee in Response to the [Khampepe] Commission’s Recommendations), resigned from their positions in the Steering Committee. This followed an emergency meeting of the Steering Committee due to the joined statement by SU and the AWIR and the Wilgenhof House Committee that was released on Wednesday 24 October 2024. This joined statement provided details on the settlement between AWIR and SU.

    See the CIRCoRe statement here.

  • 1 November 2024

    The SU Council decided to refer the matter of the Wilgenhof Panel’s report for further investigation at its extraordinary meeting on Friday 1 November 2024. Council convened this meeting to consider the recent developments following the release to the media of the Chancellor’s affidavit alleging improper interference in the findings of the independent panel that was tasked to investigate the contents found during an audit of the spaces and amenities of the Residence and to report to the Rectorate on its findings and recommendations.

    Council tasked the Social and Business Ethics Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee of the Council to appoint and co-ordinate appropriate independent expert(s) ("The Panel") to investigate:
    (1) The circumstances in which the Wilgenhof Panel report was changed,
    (2) Whether the Executive Committee of Council decided at its 4 June meeting that Wilgenhof should be closed, and
    (3) Whether the Chair of Council should have disclosed the Chancellor's concern around the changing of the final paragraph of the Wilgenhof report to Council at its 24 June 2024 meeting.

    The Panel will present its findings to Council in time for its meeting scheduled for 2 December 2024, for Council to decide on appropriate action.

    See the statement here.

  • 8 November 2024

    The members of the SU Council’s Audit & Risk Committee and Social & Business Ethics Committee (the "Joint Committee") appointed an Independent Panel consisting of Judge Johann Kriegler, Advocate Karrisha Pillay SC and Prof Themba Mosia (“the Kriegler Panel”) to conduct an investigation with regards to certain allegations related to the report of the Wilgenhof Panel. Judge Kriegler will chair the Independent Panel.

    The Kriegler Panel's report and findings are expected to be received in time for the next meeting of Council scheduled for 2 December 2024.

    See the statement here.

  • 2 December 2024

    At its meeting Council noted and considered the Kriegler Panel’s findings, as well as written submissions from attorneys on behalf of the De Jager Panel, additional documentation and input supplied by the Vice-Chancellor and input by the Chair of Council.

    After a robust discussion, Council adopted a motion through majority vote which acknowledged that the Vice-Chancellor and Chair of Council had erred in not informing Council about amendments to the De Jager Panel report. The minority dissenting votes against the motion were recorded as requested.