Huis ten Bosch residents say they will stay a close-knit family.
Since the fire, alumni, SU management, staff, students, and community members have shown tremendous support. A donation page set up on the crowdfunding GivenGain platform by the University's Development and Alumni Relations Division, garnered donations of over R49 000 and Marsh, an insurance broker and risk management firm, donated brand new laptops to residents who lost their belongings. Local shops donated vouchers amounting to over R5 000 and cash donations of over R10 000 were received.
"The support has been overwhelming!" Köhler added.
On 12 August, the roof above eight rooms on the third floor of the residence was destroyed when a fire broke out at around 19:00. All 164 residents of Huis ten Bosch were evacuated safely. No one was seriously injured - one student was treated for burn wounds to her hands, and another for smoke inhalation at the Stellenbosch Hospital. Residents were all placed in alternative accommodation.
The repair and construction work began at the beginning of September 2019 and the University has since announced that Huis ten Bosch will be transformed into a modern, fit-for-purpose residence, set to open in 2021.
The amount of around R62,5 million for the upgrade and repair work will ensure that Huis ten Bosch will not only comply with the most recent municipal regulations, but also be equipped with modern kitchenettes for students on every floor, upgraded electrical and electronic equipment, a new IT fibre route and its own water connection are some of the many improvements planned. The whole roof will be replaced by a fire-rated ceiling and roof. All the rooms will be fitted with two-hour rated doors which allow for fire zones to be compartmentalised.
Initially, it was hoped that the reconstruction would be completed in time for students to occupy the residence from January 2020. However, this will not be possible as the Stellenbosch Fire Department requires fire compartmentalisation and fire alarms for the whole residence as a pre-requisite for issuing a post-fire occupancy certificate. These requirements will take longer to implement than initially anticipated.
HtB residents were informed that the major upgrade and construction of their residence is expected to be completed by 23 October 2020 and that alternative housing arrangements have been made for Huis ten Bosch students in 2020.