An inquiry into racism in South African rugby will be set up by the end of February, Minister of Sport Ngconde Balfour said on Tuesday.
Balfour, briefing journalists at Parliament, said his department had almost finished drawing up the inquiry’s terms of reference and that the names of those who would sit on it would be announced by the end of February.
”Rugby has had its own internal inquiry. The bigger inquiry must be taken up by the minister, which will look at transformation in the sport and whether there is racism,” he said.
Late last year the South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu) cancelled a commission that was to have begun an inquiry into alleged racism in Springbok rugby.
This commission was established after reports that a white player, lock Geo Cronje, had refused to share a room with coloured (mixed race) teammate Quentin Davids.
Balfour said Sarfu had asked the his ministry to conduct the inquiry into the sport nationally.
He said he wanted to review all sports codes, but the department would first complete the probe into rugby.
Last week the president of Sarfu, Brian van Rooyen, announced major changes to the game, including the grooming of black coaches for the national squad, setting targets to get enough black players in the team and setting up a development charter. — Sapa-AFP