The horrors of ‘initiation’ practices at Stellenbosch’s Wilgenof house

Lester Kiewit speaks with Paul Joubert, who four years ago wrote an article detailing the horrific initiation rituals performed on students at Wilgenhof residence at Stellenbosch University

Listen to the interview in the audio below.

News24s expose revealed disturbing information about Stellenbosch Universities oldest men’s residence, Wilgenhof.

A recent surprise inspection was conducted at the residence after an anonymous tipoff, which revealed the nightmarish practices of Wilgenof.

The residence has a so-called ‘disciplinary committee’ called the Nagligte, that are responsible for untold abuse as part of initiation practices.

The Nagligte would wear black Klu Klux Klan regalia and inflict forms of torture on students to punish them breaking the ‘official or unofficial code of the residence.’

“The first years are taught to be afraid of them.”

- Paul Joubert, Journalist

Inside two locked rooms they found disturbing pictures and records of physical and sexual assault.

Joubert says that evidence suggests this has been going on since the 50s if not earlier.

At the start of the year, the res will hold a ‘meat festival’ to scare the first years with various means.

They will be taken into ‘lair 88,’ the lair of the Nagligte, to undergo brutal punishments and initiation rituals.

While there was some evidence pointing towards sexual abuse, Joubert says no one he had spoken to had shared stories of experiencing that, but he cannot speak to whether or not is still happens.

“I have spoken to multiple people who have had to deal with forced physical training, emotional initiation and other types of punishment.”

- Paul Joubert, Journalist

He adds that the recent raid on Wilgenof was surprising as it is rare for universities to take such big and public action against these practices.