The Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA) is not considering a civil claim against the English cricket fan who scrawled swastikas and racist graffiti on seats at Newlands.
”It’s unlikely we would want to do that,” WPCA president Norman Arendse said on Thursday after Matthew Weller (33) was fined R4 000 or six months in jail. ”The less we have to do with this person the better.”
Evidence was that the incident cost the WPCA more than R12 000, made up mostly of R11 250 for switching on the stadium’s state-of-the-art floodlights for a police photographer to record the graffiti on Monday night.
However, Wynberg Magistrate JD Kotze ordered Weller — a white man represented by a black attorney — to pay compensation of only R1 210 to the WPCA, to cover direct clean-up and personnel costs related to the incident.
He said the R11 250 was something the WPCA association could take up through a civil action.
The fact that Weller had degraded and insulted other people in post-1994 South Africa was an aggravating circumstance and that if he had wanted to show off, there were other ways to do it, the magistrate said.
As a supporter of the English cricket team he is unofficially a representative of his country and the court expects him to act accordingly.
”Actually no punishment can repair what you have done in this country, and I hope you realise that,” Kotze said.
Letters of apology
At Weller’s first appearance on Tuesday this week, Kotze suggested he make a public apology at Newlands while the Test was still going on, but prosecutor Catherine Putter told the court on Thursday that the Newlands authorities felt this could ”sour the game” and leave the public bewildered.
Instead, they had asked that formal letters of apology be written to the United Cricket Board and the WPCA.
She said the Newlands authorities had banned Weller from the rest of the Cape Town Test, and Wanderers’ management in Johannesburg had ”also been notified”.
United Cricket Board spokesperson Gerald de Kock said if Weller were to want to go to the remaining two Tests, in Johannesburg and Pretoria, he would not be welcome.
However, he understands Weller was ”on his way home” anyway.
Weller has already sent the letters of apology. He told the WPCA he regretted his actions and promised never to do it again.
”I am extremely sorry for any offence caused to the staff and patrons of the ground on this day who may have witnessed the act, or those involved in the cleaning operation,” he said.
”I wholly regret my actions, which were totally out of character, and promise that I shall never again act in this manner.”
Arendse said several VIPs who had been watching the match from the WPCA president’s box, including Deputy Minister of Justice Johnny de Lange and former education minister Kader Asmal, had agreed the letters, rather than a public apology, were the right way to go.
”They agreed it’s not a good idea to elevate this,” he said. ”We don’t want to give him any [prominence]; he doesn’t deserve any.”
‘I hate darks’
Weller had pleaded guilty to a charge of malicious injury to property.
He used a black felt pen to scrawl the swastikas and the words ”I hate darks” on 17 seats on Newlands’ presidential pavilion on Monday, the first day of the third cricket Test between South Africa and England.
Stadium manager Cyril Martin told the court it cost R11 250 to activate the massive floodlights for the police photographer, who arrived after dark on Monday.
The R1 210 was made up of the ”wear and tear” cost of the lights, costs of cleaning the seats, and R380 compensation for the time he spent dealing with the matter.
He said Weller was not a member of the so-called ”Barmy Army” contingent of English fans, who had been seated in other areas of the ground.
Weller declined to speak to the media at the hearing. His attorney, Christopher Ryke, said Weller had instructed him not to talk about the matter.
Father shocked
The British Press Association reports that Weller’s father was shocked on Thursday to learn of his son’s involvement in the incident.
His parents, John and Linda, of Leatherhead, Surrey, who are believed to be retired, were unaware Weller had been arrested until contacted by the Press Association.
His father exclaimed: ”Oh, stupid,” before adding: ”I’m not very happy, I must admit.”
”I honestly would like to think very hard before I make any comment whatsoever,” he said.
A spokesperson for Leatherhead Cricket Club confirmed to the Press Association that Weller, an avid cricket fan, had travelled to South Africa independently. He said Weller has been playing cricket for local clubs for 10 years but has now moved on from Leatherhead to Cheam.
”I know him but I cannot comment at all as to whether it is out of character. I know he is in South Africa. I think he went independently, as did other people.” — Sapa