Stellenbosch University
Welcome to Stellenbosch University
More Matie students get Die Vlakte Bursaries
Author: Rozanne Engel / Corporate Communication
Published: 02/03/2018

Today (01 March) marked another milestone in Stellenbosch University's (SU) commitment to restitution and development, with a next group of Matie students receiving Die Vlakte Bursaries.

Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor at SU, established the fund in 2015, as a form of redress and development for descendants of people who suffered forced removals in the 1960s and '70s from Die Vlakte, a neighbourhood that used to adjoin the town centre and partially overlapped SU.

The residents that inhabited this neighbourhood were mainly so-called Coloured people who were removed in 1964 under the 1950 Group Areas Act. The Bursary Fund aims to compensate these displaced residents for their unlawful removal by making bursaries available for them and their children and grandchildren to study at the University.

During the ceremony for the 2018 bursary recipients, Prof de Villiers said that this bursary lays close to his heart. “It is important for this university that we are working hard at becoming more inclusive and we are reaching out to the community to close the gap. It is important that the children who grow up on our threshold come to SU and achieve their dreams here. This university belongs to the whole community."

Each year a small group of students is selected for Die Vlakte Bursary and the first group of recipients received funding in 2016. To date over R1 000 000 worth of bursaries have been allocated to students.

The recipients of 2018 are Wyatt Afrika, a second year BA (Drama and Theatre Studies) student; Kirsten Hector, a first year BA (Visual Arts) student; Ruan Steyn, a first year engineering student; Zain Ghalpie, a second year BSc (Mathematical Science) student; and first year twin brothers Garth and Gareth Wentley. Garth is studying BSc (Human Life Sciences) and Gareth BAcc LLB.

“I feel so honoured to receive this funding, as there are only a certain amount of people who get this bursary every year. As much as I also feel honoured, I also believe we deserve this bursary, since our grandparents lived on this campus from the beginning and then were forcibly removed. This bursary means a lot to our family as it not only alleviates the massive stress of student fees, but is also a good initiative by the university to give back to the Die Vlakte communities affected by the past," says Gareth Wentley.

Kirsten Hector also expressed her gratitude and happiness to have received the bursary. She said the bursary comes as a big help to her and has taken away a lot of financial strain from her parents.

Ruan Steyn's father, Reuben, expressed similar sentiments and is glad the university could help his son financially. “I applied a few years ago for our other son (Ruan's brother), but unfortunately he didn't get the bursary then. We felt so relieved when we got the good news that Ruan got the bursary, as it comes as a huge help. I'm very pleased that the university has been able to give back to those affected by Die Vlakte removals."

Die Vlakte Exhibition

In 2013, SU created a Memory Room in SU's Archive on the ground floor of the Wilcocks Building. A contemporary exhibition depicted the suppressed history of people of Die Vlakte at the Memory Room, which was a gesture of reconciliation between the institution and the town's coloured community. The Memory Room was the brainchild of the late Prof Russel Botman (Rector and Vice-Chancellor of SU 2006 to 2014). The exhibition was on display at the SU Archives for three years.

The Arts and Social Sciences Faculty has been engaged in a process of reflecting on its history. The current Arts and Social Sciences Building stands on a site cleared in the 1960s as a result of the Group Areas Act. In December 2013, the Dean, Johan Hattingh, appointed a committee to develop an exhibition that would memorialise the forced removals that took place in Die Vlakte. Over the years, a number of students and faculty in different disciplines have worked on researching and making visible the history of Die Vlakte.

In a joint project involving the departments of Visual Arts and English, students were invited to produce a set of proposals for memorialising the forced removals. These proposals along with a small exhibition, reflecting on the history of the building and the current consequences of that history, are displayed on panels and wall art on the first floor at the Arts & Social Sciences Building, where SU students, alumni and the public can view it.

SU 'Homecoming'

Stellenbosch University will be having a Homecoming Weekend for alumni Maties this coming weekend from 1 – 5 March. On 3 March, those affected by the Die Vlakte forced removals; members of the Stellenbosch community, as well as the Silver Valke from the Saldanha Military will be taking part in a march from Lückhoff School, down Ryneveld, Victoria and Bosman Street towards Coetzenberg. The march is a moment of reflection for those affected by the forced removals. On the day, the University is also having a Family Day at Coetzenberg from 10:00, where students, community members and alumni can enjoy live music, entertainment and delicious food.

Die Vlakte Bursary Application

Prospective students who lived in the area, their children and grandchildren can apply for the bursaries. The bursary covers basic class fees for the minimum length of the student's chosen programme.

A community committee assists with the verification of applicants' association with Die Vlakte, and the Bursary Committee consisting of three members from the community and three SU staff members help apply the allocation criteria. 

For more information, contact or visit the Bursaries and Loans office in Admin A, Room 2063 on Stellenbosch Campus.

Office hours are Monday to Friday 08:00 to 16:30.

  • Tel: (021) 808 9111
  • Email: info@sun.ac.za

More articles on Die Vlakte:

Photo by Rozanne Engel

In the photo above: Prof Wim de Villiers with the new Die Vlakte Bursary recipients for 2018: (from left), Zain Ghalpie, Kirsten Hector, twin brothers Garth and Gareth Wentley.