Africa-Press – South-Africa. The dust had barely settled on Stellenbosch University rector and vice-chancellor Wim de Villers’ approving placement for a family member when it emerged that a second family member was placed to study there without him disclosing it to the council.
Last week, reports emerged that De Villers used his discretionary rights to secure a place for Charlie Linnegar, the nephew of his wife Catherine.
This came to light when an applicant with better matric marks did not get accepted to the same course.
A statement released by the university over the weekend said they had followed a clearly defined admissions policy, with guidelines on discretionary placements implemented since 2018.
However, this approach was currently being reviewed “to address any possible shortcomings”.
“The Rector maintains that though he acted in good faith and consistent with the current guidelines, he acknowledges and regrets the turmoil that the publicised incident has caused,” the university said.
The nepotism allegations against him come hot on the heels of a scathing report from the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), which found students at the university were being prevented from communicating in Afrikaans in some residences during the welcoming week.
The SAHRC found the university had violated the rights of Afrikaans-speaking students.
This after the DA and FF Plus had filed a complaint with the SAHRC in March 2021.
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