“My Child Was Wronged”: Mother Appeals to Ramaphosa Over Stellenbosch University Incident
- The mother of a Stellenbosch University student has written to Cyril Ramaphosa, disputing claims that her son received an apology after his residence room was allegedly ransacked
- She says neither the university nor the residence leadership offered a direct apology, despite later acknowledgements from the residence committee
- The university has launched an internal process, while a case has been opened with the South African Police Service
Source: Getty Images
STELLENBOSCH —The mother of a Stellenbosch University student whose residence room was allegedly vandalised has written to Cyril Ramaphosa, disputing claims that her son received an apology after the incident.
According to the Cape Argus, Education activist Vanessa Le Roux addressed her letter to the president, copying members of Parliament and student leaders, as she questioned how the university handled the matter.
Her son, Kylo, a second-year BA Humanities student, returned to his room at the Majuba men’s residence earlier this month to find it ransacked, with bedding, furniture and personal belongings removed. He has since relocated to another residence.
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Activist claims university did not apologise
In the letter, Le Roux maintains that neither the university nor residence leadership apologised directly to her son in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
“As leadership, the first response when something happens to a student should be an apology, yet my child has not received one,” she said.
She added that she raised the issue during a meeting with university officials and residence leadership.
“I met with the student dean, the res father and student leaders and told them they had not apologised for what happened to my son,” she said.
According to Le Roux, the first acknowledgement only came days later through a message circulated on the residence WhatsApp group.
“By the time a statement was shared, Kylo was already in the process of moving out,” she said.
The residence house committee later issued a letter to Majuba residents confirming that Kylo’s bed, mattress and couch had been removed from his room. The letter acknowledged the emotional harm caused and said the incident violated his dignity, adding that it went against the residence’s values.
The committee also apologised to the student and admitted the apology had not been communicated earlier.
Stellenbosch University responded
University spokesperson Martin Viljoen said internal processes had been activated following the incident.
Officials from the Dean of Students’ office are engaging with student leaders to determine the next steps, in line with institutional protocols, he said.
The university added that student dignity and safety remain a priority and that the matter would be handled with transparency while allowing internal processes to run their course.
A case of unlawful entry and damage to property has been opened with the South African Police Service, while the university’s internal investigation continues.
Details of the incident
In a related article, Briefly News reported that the incident occurred late on Monday night, 2 March 2026, after a soccer victory celebration. The student's mother said she received a message from her son shortly after 23:00 showing his residence room in disarray, with belongings scattered and furniture missing. She said her son initially told her he did not know who was responsible for the damage. She further said that her son received messages indicating that there was tension within the residence and had previously been warned that some students were unhappy.
Another scandal hit the university
In another incident four years ago, Stellenbosch University investigated the alleged use of the k-word on campus by a residence head. He had allegedly used the word while explaining what kind of language is unacceptable. In their response, the university said it understands that the word was not used as a racial slur but was used in a specific context that dealt with instruction on acceptable and unacceptable and language on campus.
Source: Getty Images
Previously, Briefly News reported that the education professor at Stellenbosch University Jonathan Jansen left many social media users fuming after he wrote a controversial column on apartheid and the current state of the country. Jansen then defended his remarks and said the question was directed at underprivileged individuals who are struggling to stay afloat
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Source: Briefly News
