In a week‚ Wim de Villiers went from tumult to standing ovation. That’s how the Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development claimed the Stellenbosch University (SU) rector’s address was received at its conference at the weekend.Last Tuesday‚ De Villiers was one of the SU leaders who appeared in front of Parliament’s portfolio committee on higher education and training over claims of racism and slow transformation.These were contained in the Luister video‚ produced by the Open Stellenbosch student group‚ which also took aim at SU’s language policy‚ which critics say favours Afrikaans. “It was painful for me to watch‚” De Villiers said of the documentary. “I do not want any of my students to suffer.“I am not going to defend the indefensible – discrimination‚ marginalisation and racism. It is wrong‚ and I am sorry it happened. It needs to be addressed.”De Villiers reiterated the denial he made in Parliament and said SU was not “a racist institution”.“We are working very hard to become more inclusive and welcoming in practice‚ but there seems to be a gap between our sincere intentions and the reality experienced by some.”This issue‚ however‚ showed that “a crucial moment in the history of Stellenbosch” had been reached.“And who better to help guide this process than our campus leaders? There are a number of established structures and elected bodies such as the SRC that can take the conversation forward.”It will be a difficult process‚ said De Villiers‚ but “we must avoid polarisation at all costs”.“If the different sides demonise the other‚ compromise becomes more difficult.“We have to reach out to each other in the search for common ground instead of retreating to ‘us’ and ‘them’ camps.”The Van Zyl Slabbert Institute’s conference ends on Tuesday...