WILGENHOF
The dark side of initiations
On 22 January 2024, Stellenbosch University officials opened two locked rooms in the highly secretive Wilgenhof men’s residence. The horrors they discovered there were revealed that week by News24, and many expressed their shock – including the university itself.
However, this was not the first time that university officials had been informed of the goings on at the 120-year-old residence, where first years were forced to participate naked in abusive initiation rituals that would leave some traumatized for decades.
Wilgenhof is not alone. It is one of many places where young South Africans have been abused in coming-of-age rituals, from high schools and universities to customary initiation schools across the country.
We invite you, our readers, to shine a light on these abuses by emailing us at tips@24.com. Together we can help put an end to the scourge.
READ THE LATEST STORY HERE
Wilgenhof saga: VC, chair survive as council upholds residence closure
LinkedIn | Wilgenhof Men's Residence
LinkedIn | Wilgenhof Men's Residence
An ethics professor maintains that retired Constitutional Court Justice Johann Kriegler's role in a panel to investigate issues around a report involving Stellenbosch University's (SU) Wilgenhof men's residence "might be perceived as biased or conflicted" because his son was a resident there.
Inside Stellenbosch University's house of horrors
News24 has obtained pictures showing what Stellenbosch University found in their oldest men's residence in a secret search operation last week.
Among the items are crude drawings depicting what appears to be male sexual assault and a log book detailing the activities of Wilgenhof's disciplinary committee called the Nagligte.
Students told News24 that the "strafkamer" or punishment room at the residence contained horrifying pictures of alleged abuse of students.
"The staff members had to break down the doors of these two rooms, and what they found was truly horrific."
An anonymous student spoke to News24 about two suspicious rooms in Wilgenhof that were always locked.
Black hoods, nudity, night of punishments: Student recounts horrific abuse at Stellenbosch University
A student has revealed how members of a disciplinary committee called Nagligte instructed them to stand in a line and undress.
News24 has obtained pictures showing what Stellenbosch University found in its oldest men's residence in a secret operation last week.
The Wilgenhof Alumni Association has said the items found by the university form part of the residence's history and could be misunderstood "if not explained in correct historical context".
Wilgenhof and the curious case of Edwin Cameron
Adriaan Basson
Adriaan Basson
Old boy, insider or activist? Why hasn't the Stellenbosch University chancellor said anything about the Wilgenhof scandal, asks Adriaan Basson.
"Since the news of the latest Wilgenhof scandal broke, Cameron has been perplexingly silent, referring all requests for comment to the university. Instead, he has been privately communicating with the Wilgenhof Bond."
Stellenbosch University to investigate after concerning 'items' found at Wilgenhof residence
A recent "audit" by Stellenbosch University management of spaces in the institution's 120-year-old Wilgenhof residence has uncovered concerning paraphernalia as the university is set to reopen next month.
'I still have nightmares': Former Wilgenhof students describe horror initiation practices
"They raped me in a sense," says a former Wilgenhof men's resident, who recalled being yanked out of bed at midnight by men wearing black hoods and then being unceremoniously dragged to "Hool 88" to face punishment.
'They won't change' says constitutional law expert Pierre de Vos about Stellenbosch University res
Constitutional law expert Pierre de Vos has expressed scepticism over Stellenbosch University's commitment to changing the residence culture at its Wilgenhof men's residence.
FRIDAY BRIEFING | Wilgenhof: Stellenbosch University's dark side
Prega Govender | It'll take more than repainting 'secret rooms' to erase Wilgenhof's dark history
OPEN LETTER FROM AN OLD BOY TO WILGENHOFFERS | To be or not to be a white papegaai
Deresh Ramjugernath | There is no room for practices and a culture that destroy our humanity
Paul Joubert | Wilgenhof, the wannabe cult
William Brederode | No Mr Wiese, decency is not the first rule of Wilgenhof
Munita Dunn-Coetzee | Initiation can leave lasting trauma. Would you let your son go to Wilgenhof?
'Initiation was a great positive': Anti-apartheid icon Beyers Naudé was loyal member of Wilgenhof's Nagligte
Beyers Naudé was a member of the Nagligte. And it appears that he quite enjoyed it.
The prominent anti-apartheid activist-dominee moved into Wilgenhof in 1932 when he started his studies at Stellenbosch University and joined the notorious residence disciplinary committee in 1935, according to Die Wilgenhof Gedenkboek (memorial book), published in 1968.
OPINION | Laurie Gaum: Wilgenhof and campus culture must learn to be rehumanising, not dehumanising
Laurie Gaum, who was in Wilgenhof in the early 1990s, reflects on the recent revelations about the men's residence and its initiation practices, which he writes is a lot to own up to.
A Wilgenhoffer responds to Verwoerd: 'I inherited self-doubt from Wilgenhof'
By maintaining a sense of superiority, hidden by a whole lexicon of terms and references only Wilgenhoffers are let into, the residence has remained almost untouchable throughout its history, writes Louis van der Riet.
The head of a committee that was launched in May 2023 to transform the institutional culture of student residences at Stellenbosch University resigned last Monday.
Stellenbosch University staff member refused to apologise to Wilgenhof students
A Stellenbosch University (SU) staff member was asked to apologise to students living in the Wilgenhof men's residence and to its house committee after the institution lost a disciplinary case that was brought against some of the students in 2020.
Impeccable sources told News24 that Choice Makhetha, the senior director of student affairs, was asked by her line manager to apologise minutes before the outcome of the disciplinary hearing was made known to the broader university community.
OPINION | Chuckles van Zyl: I was in Wilgenhof. I would send my children there
Media reports create the perception that vulnerable individuals in Wilgenhof have been trampled and exploited by the enactment of bullies' traditions. Nothing could be further from the truth, writes Chuckles van Zyl.
Human chess and obsessive nudity: Wilgenhof old boy 'glad all this s**t is finally coming out'
Another former resident of Wilgenhof residence at Stellenbosch University has spoken out about the abuse he suffered at the hands of "oumanne" (old boys) and the so-called Nagligte disciplinary committee.
The man, who went to Wilgenhof in the 1990s, confirmed earlier News24 reports about initiation and degrading practices first-year students had to endure at the university's oldest residence.
He described a sexual intimidation attempt by a member of the Nagligte in "Hool 88", the punishment room of Wilgenhof, after a night of demeaning practices.
ANALYSIS | Beyers Naudé and Wilgenhof: Discerning between the individual and the institution
Ruhan Fourie reflects on how Beyers Naudé - a man who betrayed the Afrikaner Broederbond, detached himself from the Dutch Reformed Church, and actively defied the apartheid order - could hold his experiences of Wilgenhof so dear.
Wilgenhof saga: Stellenbosch University yet to appoint panel to assess items found in secret rooms
Stellenbosch University (SU) is yet to appoint a panel to "fully assess" items discovered in two secret rooms at the Wilgenhof men's residence, despite indicating on 26 January that it was "in the final stages" of establishing it.
Prominent academic Rudi Buys calls for 'Wilgenhof TRC' to probe alleged human rights violations
Former president of the Stellenbosch University convocation Rudi Buys has called for the establishment of an entity that resembles the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to probe alleged human rights violations at the Wilgenhof Men's Residence.
Stellenbosch University finally appoints panel to conduct probe at Wilgenhof men's residence
A three-person panel was appointed to probe whether unacceptable practices over time at Stellenbosch University's (SU) Wilgenhof men's residence "have been protected or covered up" by university staff, alumni or students.
Prominent academic Rudi Buys calls for the removal of additional security cameras at Wilgenhof
Stellenbosch University (SU) installed additional security cameras at the Wilgenhof men's residence, but the former president of the convocation, Rudi Buys, said it should be removed "at an appropriate time".
Wilgenhof 'oumanne' paid upward of R1 500 for two-night reunion at old Stellenbosch University res
The "oumanne" (old boys) of Stellenbosch University's Wilgenhof Men's Residence paid between R1 500 and R3 100 for a two-night stay at a "hool" (a term for a filthy place, but which Wilgenhof residents call their rooms) at their old res in September 2023.
PICS | Trauma bonding 101: Welcome to Wilgenhof
News24 has obtained a new trove of photographs and documents that shed further light on decades-old initiation practices at Wilgenhof Men's Residence.
Stellenbosch University's oldest men's residence has been at the centre of a furore after the institution launched an investigation into paraphernalia found in two rooms last month.
Former Wilgenhof residents have detailed the abusive traditions they endured at the residence over the decades, many of which are obliquely referenced in newsletters and communiques sent to its residents and "old boys" over the years.
Stellenbosch University probes illegal removal of panels and doors from bathroom at Wilgenhof res
In a week when Stellenbosch University (SU) appointed a team to probe disturbing items found in two secret rooms at the Wilgenhof men's residence, recently installed panels and doors in a bathroom were illegally removed.
'I can't deny my complicity': Social activist urges Wilgenhoffers to face 'our responsibility'
Stellenbosch University's Wilhelm Verwoerd believes Wilgenhof alumni and residents should not try to defend or explain their actions but acknowledge the hurt and damage caused.
Wilgenhof scandal an 'intergenerational tradition that needs to be investigated' - Verwoerd
The defensiveness and justification surrounding the Wilgenhof residence following the public fury of its practices, reminds social activist Wilhelm Verwoerd of a phrase he became familiar with during his research years with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission – "a magnitude gap".
Initiating change: How one Stellenbosch University res is getting 'tradition' right
Metanoia, a co-ed residence at Stellenbosch University, advocates for "better" ways of bonding, without demeaning initiation practices. Inclusivity and diversity is an important part of what makes Metanoia work, its vice-primarius believes.
Needed: A black 'radical' rector at the helm of Stellenbosch University – Prof De Vos
What Stellenbosch University needs is a black "radical" rector for the Sisyphean task of effectively changing the institution, constitutional law expert Professor Pierre de Vos believes.
He said that, even when people of colour were appointed to leadership positions, the most senior staff remained white and Afrikaans.
Stellenbosch University rectorate accepts panel recommendation to close Wilgenhof residence
The rectorate of Stellenbosch University has unanimously accepted the recommendation of a panel that the controversial Wilgenhof residence be closed.
In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, the university said the rector, Professor Wim de Villiers, would recommend to the council that Wilgenhof residence be closed, and that alternative uses be considered for the buildings.
Stellenbosch University's Wilgenhof residence not 'racist or homophobic' - alumni association
An association representing 3 500 alumni of Wilgenhof men's residence at Stellenbosch University (SU) has laid bare details of two locked rooms that housed photographs of alleged past initiation practices, dating back to 1900.
The Wilgenhof Alumni Association informed a three-person panel that it is conducting a probe into the contents of the two rooms, and that "where past practices infringed on anyone's dignity and caused them harm, this is profoundly regretted".
It said in its 27-page submission, dated 29 February, that "any account of a Wilgenhoffer that suffered trauma is highly distressing, entirely unacceptable and does not accord with the spirit and ethos of Wilgenhof".
Wilgenhof: Doctoral student says closure of residence will bring 'a new dawn' to the university
A doctoral student at Stellenbosch University (SU) is overjoyed about the council's decision to shut the controversial Wilgenhof men's residence in its current form and replace it with a reimagined and rejuvenated hostel.
On Monday, the council announced the residence would be closed for upgrading in 2025. It will then reopen during 2026 as a male residence.
A social justice activist and doctoral student, Edwin Cleophas, said the closure was "a small victory in many that is hopefully still to be taken on by the university in dismantling the system of apartheid that still maintains in those buildings and is set in those buildings".
FIRST TAKE | Totsiens, menere: Stellenbosch University council closes door on Wilgenhof
Adriaan Basson
Adriaan Basson
After 121 years, Stellenbosch University has finally taken a stance against the culture of secrecy that enabled Wilgenhof men's residence to get away with degrading and damaging practices for decades, writes Adriaan Basson.
In the end, the Stellenbosch University council had no choice but to close Wilgenhof men's residence after 121 years - for good.
Wilgenhof closed to break with 'unacceptable, secretive practices' of past - Stellenbosch University
Wilgenhof association fighting Stellenbosch University wants court papers kept secret
Stellenbosch University's Wilgenhof residents portrayed as 'rapists and racists', student says
Stellenbosch University’s Wilgenhof 2025 closure taking emotional toll on residents – psychologist
Stellenbosch University faces second legal challenge over Wilgenhof residence closure
Wilgenhof association, Stellenbosch University settle bid to interdict closure of residence
Wilgenhof Alumni Association seeks to nullify report, claims 'serious reputational harm'
An alumni association is pressing ahead with its High Court application to set aside a damning report into initiations and the contents of two rooms at the controversial Wilgenhof men's residence at Stellenbosch University (SU) despite a compromise reached between another organisation and SU.
The Wilgenhof Alumni Association announced on Thursday that the decision by the rectorate of SU to accept the report of an investigative panel as fact has caused reputational harm to thousands of former Wilgenhoffers.
Based on the recommendations of the report, SU's council took a decision to close the men's hostel in its current form, in 2025 for upgrading, and reopen it in 2026 as "a reimagined and rejuvenated male residence".
Stellenbosch University Council to meet after Edwin Cameron claims Wilgenhof report was altered
Stellenbosch University's Wilgenhof panel asks Justice Cameron to withdraw 'damaging statements'
Wilgenhof saga: Edwin Cameron doubles down on 'damaging statements' on panel's report
Wilgenhof association adamant that panel's final report was 'materially altered'
Adriaan Basson | Wilgenhof and the battle for the soul of Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch University 'dismayed' at Johann Rupert's criticism of VC De Villiers
Madonsela says 'facts and justice' favour De Villiers as Wilgenhof battle rages on
LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Debunking myths: Wilgenhof Alumni defend their legacy
Stellenbosch University's council meets to discuss Wilgenhof's 'altered' report
Experts to probe circumstances around changing of Wilgenhof report
Wilgenhof saga: Wim de Villiers survives after DA push for his suspension as VC falls flat
Wilgenhof saga: Proposal to conduct research into history, practices of the 'Nagligte'
Judge Kriegler to head yet another panel investigating the Wilgenhof saga
OPINION | Willem Landman: Kriegler's ties to Wilgenhof decades ago shouldn't matter
Wilgenhof saga: VC, chair were 'wrong' to influence closure report, Kriegler finds
Wilgenhof saga: Investigative panel accuses Kriegler of bias
Wilgenhof saga: VC, chair survive as council upholds residence closure
Other Wilgenhofs
Wilgenhof is not alone.
There are many other institutions, from schools to universities, that have come under the spotlight for abusive initiation practices.
Sexual assault scandal rocks Nico Malan High School in the Eastern Cape
A group of six matric pupils from Nico Malan High School in Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape have been suspended from the school hostel after allegedly sexually assaulting four Grade 8 pupils.
'That's what boys do': Nico Malan parents speak out as details of sexual assault allegations emerge
Just beyond the large black gate leading to the prestigious premises of Nico Malan High School in Humansdorp, several flags with the school's slogan, "Respect, fairness, friendliness and honesty", flutter in the slight breeze.
The irony is striking since only two days ago, allegations of sexual assault among pupils in the hostel surfaced, shocking the education community of the Eastern Cape school to its core.
Three die at Western Cape initiation schools
Three Western Cape initiates have died during summer initiation season in the province.
The Western Cape Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee (WCPICC) said that criminal cases have been filed with the police and were under investigation following the deaths.
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Journalists: Prega Govender and Tammy Petersen
Production and graphic design: Sharlene Rood
Assistant Editor | Head of News: Nicki Gules
Editor-in-Chief: Adriaan Basson
Photo credits: Supplied | Getty Images | Wilgenhof Men's Residence/LinkedIn |
Alfonso Nqunjana | @patchesphotos/wilgenhof_residence instagram | Alon Skuy/Gallo Images | Adrian de Kock Netwerk24 | Getty Images | Archive | Gallo Images | Lerato Maduna/Gallo Images/Beeld | Jaco Marais/Gallo Images/Die Burger | Thulani Mbele/Sowetan/Gallo Images | Google | Tammy Petersen/ News24 | ER Lombard/Gallo Images
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