DA takes legal action against Stellenbosch University over secrecy surrounding alleged impropriety during Afrikaans abolition court case
12 July 2020
The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Friday launched legal action against the decision by Stellenbosch University (SU) to hide information of critical public importance from public scrutiny. This follows after the SU earlier refused to comply with a request filed under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA).
The PAIA application was submitted in March by the DA’s constituency head in Stellenbosch and SU alumnus, Dr Leon Schreiber.
The aim of the application was to obtain the evidence considered by an investigation into allegations that the SU rector, Professor Wim de Villiers, had improper personal contact with retired judge Edwin Cameron during the Constitutional Court case about the abolition of Afrikaans as a primary and equal language of instruction at the university.
According to allegations made in the public domain, De Villiers is alleged to have had secret discussions with Cameron during the court proceedings – including at least one secret in-person meeting at OR Tambo international airport.