The South African Rugby Union (Saru) announced on Thursday that the disciplinary inquiry into alleged sexual harassment by managing director Johan Prinsloo has been postponed.
The hearing was scheduled to take place on Thursday, but was postponed by mutual agreement between the two parties until a date to be be agreed on by both parties.
Saru’s lawyers had advised the union to proceed with the disciplinary hearing, the Daily Dispatch reported on Thursday.
Saru’s MD Johan Prinsloo has been accused of sexual harassment. His accuser has threatened a high-court action against SA Rugby (Saru’s commercial arm) and Prinsloo.
News of the alleged incident surfaced a week ago, after which Saru vice-president Mike Stofile, in the absence of Saru president Brian van Rooyen, instructed Prinsloo to take leave.
Prinsloo, however, refused to do so.
In response, attorney Anton Steenkamp, of Saru’s law firm Sonnenberg Hoffmann Galombik, wrote urgently to Van Rooyen and other executives, urging that the disciplinary hearing against Prinsloo, which had been scheduled for Thursday, proceed under the Employment Equity Act.
Steenkamp asked that Prinsloo also be suspended if necessary.
He said he was concerned that he experienced ”difficulty in obtaining clear instructions from Mr Prinsloo’s employers, Saru (in his capacity as CEO) and SA Rugby (in his capacity as MD)”.
Steenkamp said he has received a resolution from SA Rugby, but that it was only signed by three of the five board members.
Steenkamp, who expressed surprise that his letter had been leaked because of its client confidentiality, said on Wednesday that Prinsloo’s attorney, Johan van Gaalen, had requested a postponement of the hearing.
”It seems we will postpone the matter. But the hearing will take place before an independent chairman.”
Stofile said he had signed the letter instructing Prinsloo to take leave because he wanted to protect Saru, the Daily Dispatch reported. — Sapa