The controversial ”reveal all” Kamp Staaldraad breakfast planned for a top Sandton hotel next week has been ”cancelled”, the event sponsors announced on Tuesday.
Motorite insurance administrators said this followed a request by the South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu) to the organisers, Warwick Sports & Media, to put off the function until a probe into the camp had been completed.
”[We] wish to advise that the breakfast presentation planned for Wednesday February 25 has been cancelled,” Motorite said in a statement.
This came amid uncertainty on whether proceeds from the function were to be donated — as claimed by former captain Joost van der Westhuizen — to the Chris Burger/Petro Jackson fund.
Talks involving the South African Rugby Players Association (Sarpa), Sarfu and Van der Westhuizen on Tuesday revealed little, with officials promising a ”press release sometime later today or, maybe, tomorrow”.
Sarpa chairperson Piet Heymans said after the meeting: ”We had discussions today between Sarfu, ourselves and Joost, but final decisions still need to be made.”
Van der Westhuizen and ousted coach Rudolf Straeuli had planned the R500-per-head event to, according to Van der Westhuizen, ”set the record straight”.
But following pressure from the Sarfu to can the function, notice of the postponement was given on Tuesday afternoon.
Straeuli and Van der Westhuizen, both members of the 1995 World Cup-winning squad, have been castigated for the planned showing of the illicit material.
The duo planned to show the entire video footage of the infamous boot camp and only later revealed that all the money would be donated to the Chris Burger/Petro Jackson fund for disabled rugby players.
According to a report on former Springbok communications manager Mark Keohane’s website, Morne du Plessis, chairperson of the fund, knew nothing of the proposed donation from the event.
”Now they want to make money out of someone else’s shame. Worst of all, there are still some sad sacks out there who will pay R500 to see the Boks humiliated — all in the name of an explanation,” said Keohane.
”Come on, Rudolf and Joost. The public has a bit more savvy. And no one is fooled by the belated gesture that the proceeds will go to the Chris Burger/Petro Jackson fund. Morne du Plessis, who heads up the foundation, admitted he does not even know about the event.
”Nice try, boys [using the fund as an excuse], but it is as pathetic as the World Cup challenge,” added Keohane.
Keohane resigned in protest weeks before the doomed World Cup campaign.
And fund general manager Lynn Allen confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that neither she nor Du Plessis had been contacted.
”No, we haven’t heard from either Joost or Rudolf, but it is not unusual that they would [come up with the money later],” she said.
”I can’t imagine they would use the [name of the] fund for their own gain. Both have worked very closely with us before and have always been honourable with the money.”
The breakfast furore is the latest in a string of incidents that have blighted Straeuli’s tenure as Springbok coach. — Sapa