Minister of Sport and Recreation Makhenkesi Stofile believes beleaguered SA Rugby boss Brian van Rooyen should step down, Stofile’s spokesperson Mahlubandili Mageda said on Saturday.
He also said Stofile is considering asking President Thabo Mbeki to order a judicial commission of inquiry into allegations of maladministration in rugby.
”The president of rugby [Brian van Rooyen] is undermining our democracy. For the interests of the country and the nation, it’s time we have to take action,” Mageda said. ”I think it’s now time Mr Van Rooyen does the honourable thing and resigns.”
This is also the minister’s view, he said.
”We’ve been giving him [Van Rooyen] so many chances to revive the administration and restore good governance, and he has failed,” Mageda said.
He said a commission of inquiry is one of the options the minister is considering as a way to ”step up the matter”.
”You must remember also, we are doing our own investigation. On the advice of our legal team, we will decide what action to take,” he said. ”We have to intervene as a matter of urgency.”
Though there is no firm indication when the report will be ready, the minister is hoping to see it as soon as possible.
Asked why it should be Mbeki, rather than Stofile himself, who set up a commission, he said that since this is what the minister has been talking about, he assumed it is the route that has to be followed. — Sapa