An independent panel that will investigate allegations of improper interference in the findings of the Wilgenhof Panel report will be led by former Constitutional Court judge Johann Kriegler.
An independent panel that will investigate allegations of improper interference in the findings of the Wilgenhof Panel report will be led by former Constitutional Court judge Johann Kriegler.
The three-member panel includes advocate Karrisha Pillay SC and professor Themba Mosia.
Their appointments were made on Friday by a Joint Committee. “The members of Stellenbosch University’s Audit & Risk Committee and Social & Business Ethics Committee were mandated by the SU Council, at its meeting on November 1, 2024, to arrange and co-ordinate an independent investigation into specific allegations of impropriety made by the Chancellor Judge Edwin Cameron against the Vice-Chancellor professor Wim de Villiers and chairperson of Council Dr Nicky Newton-King, contained in an affidavit deposed by the Chancellor on October 29, 2024 relating to the so-called ‘Wilgenhof Report’,” said Joint Committee chairperson Bernard Fick.
According to Fick, the panel’s report and findings are expected to be received in time for the next meeting of Council scheduled for December 2.
“The Joint Committee is thankful to the Kriegler Panel members for availing themselves for this sensitive but very important task and believe that they will conduct a thorough and fair investigation,” he said.
An independent panel chaired by advocate Nick de Jager was tasked with investigating the contents found during an audit of the spaces and amenities of the Wilgenhof men’s residence and to report to the rectorate on its findings and recommendations.
Council decided on September 16 to close the residence in its current form and replace it with a reimagined and renewed male residence student community.
Cameron’s affidavit claims that De Villiers and Newton-King changed the report which recommended the closure of the controversial residence.
“I discovered that the final paragraph of the final report sent to me on June 1, 2024, had disappeared.
“Instead, the proposal contained in that paragraph had been moved to a position earlier in the report, but had been altered. It now indicated, not an alternative that ‘appealed’ to the panel, namely a ‘truly deep, carefully managed and facilitated dialogue’, but an alternative that the panel unequivocally rejected,” he said.
On discovering that the panel’s report had been “altered”, Cameron said he wrote to De Villiers and Newton-King and the VC called him.
“We had a 13-minute-long conversation. He admitted that he had intervened by writing to the panel about the final paragraph of its report. The VC insisted that he had merely responded to an invitation the panel directed to the rectorate to ‘provide any clarification or answer any questions’ about its report,” he said.
Political parties including the FF-Plus had requested chairperson of the Committee on Higher Education Tebogo Letsie to order a formal parliamentary inquiry into the university.
Cape Times
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