South African Rugby’s vice-president, Mike Stofile, is considering resignation, he told the Daily Dispatch on Monday.
This revelation follows the resignation from SA Rugby’s ruling body on Saturday of Andre Markgraaff, who quit as deputy president after accusing SA Rugby president Brian van Rooyen of side-lining him from his duties.
Stofile, a former president of Border Rugby and brother of Minister of Sport Makhenkesi Stofile, said he sent an SMS to former SA Rugby judiciary committee chairperson Koos Basson on Monday to inform him of his intention.
”I am also tired of what is going on. This is not good at all. We seem to be going nowhere,” Stofile said.
Asked if he was now in line to succeed Markgraaff, Stofile said he did not know what Van Rooyen is planning.
”There is a meeting on Friday to discuss Markgraaff’s resignation, but no-one seems to know who called the meeting.”
Stofile criticised Van Rooyen for not allowing outside lawyers to investigate the allegations in the now infamous secret dossier, which raised numerous concerns about Van Rooyen’s management style and decisions.
Stofile said Basson, who heads Western Province Rugby, has been removed as chairperson of the judiciary committee by Van Rooyen after indicating that he [Basson] would appoint outside lawyers.
The allegations are presently being investigated by Cape Town attorney Adrie Brand — who has acted on behalf of SA Rugby since the days of former chief executive Riaan Oberholzer — and advocate Jan Heunis, who is normally briefed by Brand to handle SA Rugby’s affairs.
Ironically the one-sided appointment of a sports management company, with which Oberholzer is involved, to organise tournaments with overseas clubs, is also spotlighted in the dossier.
As was the case with Basson, SA Rugby’s inability to have the allegations investigated independently was the main reason for the resignation a month ago of audit committee chairperson Oregan Hoskins and Mpumelelo Tshume, one of its members. Basson has been co-opted ex-officio on the management committee.
Stofile said after speaking to Basson on Monday he is now convinced that Basson will be co-opted to the committee again.
”Van Rooyen has just lost another management committee member [Markgraaff] and he needs him [Basson] big time. When I raised the issue of Koos with him, Van Rooyen said he will look at it again.”
While his main concern was that lawyers who usually act for SA Rugby were heading the investigation, he said that the allegations of an unauthorised overseas trip paid for by SA Rugby to Cape Town advocate Norman Arendse and his wife, should also be investigated.
”I notice that Arendse said he was in London to attend the meeting of the International Rugby Board as a member of the SA delegation.
”That is not true. The IRB meeting was held in Dublin, Ireland and Brian van Rooyen, myself and Baby Richards on behalf of the referees, attended the meeting. Norman Arendse was not there.”
Stofile said the fact that the audit committee, which handled queries about the trip, has resigned, does not mean that the matter should be dropped.
In an earlier interview Arendse told the Dispatch that Lategan had invited him on the trip. ”I spoke to Theunie Lategan and he told me he did not,” said Stofile.
”It’s all very confusing. Lategan says Van Rooyen invited Arendse, and Van Rooyen says Lategan did.”
The exodus from South African rugby’s governing bodies started when former Springbok captain Morne du Plessis resigned, followed by among others, Mluleki George, Songezo Nayo, Alvin Martin, Keith Parkinson, and president’s council chairperson Theunie Lategan. – Sapa