MONDAY, 4.00PM
FOLLOWING weekend reports that Sports Minister Steve Tshwete intends to ask President Nelson Mandela to appoint a commission of inquiry into the management of SA rugby, SA Rugby Football Union president Louis Luyt on Monday said Sarfu will go to court to have the appointment of any such commission overturned.
In a statement on Monday, Sarfu said it had decided to suspend its co-operation with Tshwete’s task team, which has been investigating allegations of irregularities in rugby management, because it had found the team was operating outside the parameters agreed on in writing by the two parties.
Luyt on Monday claimed that in the five months since it had begun its investigations, the task team had not contacted Sarfu or presented any evidence.Luyt said there has to be a very good reason and strong evidence for a commission to be appointed. “This latest action indicates that they have been unable to come up with any evidence,” he said.
“We cannot understand how Mr Tshwete has allowed rugby to be drawn into this process for the past six months without any allegations being brought against us; we are not happy that the sport continues to be treated this way,” said Luyt. He said Sarfu will approach the high court to compel the task team to make any evidence or allegation they have available immediately, Luyt added.