Embattled Vice-Chancellor Wim de Villiers and council chair Nicky Newton-King survived a bid to have them suspended, reportedly led by two DA politicians in the Stellenbosch University Council.
News24 says it was told that, at a special meeting of Council to discuss allegations made by the university’s chancellor, former Constitutional Court justice Edwin Cameron, against De Villiers, Newton-King and a panel appointed to investigate the Wilgenhof men’s residence, Leon Schreiber and Gesie van Deventer led a “vigorous” charge against the two university leaders.
Schreiber is home affairs minister and Van Deventer the recently-resigned mayor of Stellenbosch.
News24 reports that it understands that there was an intense debate in Council between those seen to be pushing for De Villiers’ censure and those opposed to Cameron’s actions of accusing the vice-chancellor of dishonesty in court.
“Someone with insight into the debate said it was clear Schreiber, Van Deventer, Paarl attorney Danie Rossouw and accountant Octavia Matloa wanted to ‘shift the focus from Wilgenhof to Wim and Nicky’, but Council refused to default on their decision for the hostel’s temporary closure and makeover.”
[Image: https://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=8140]