South African Rugby Union (Saru) vice-president Mike Stofile has vowed to resign if beleaguered president Brian van Rooyen is re-elected on February 24 at the organisation’s annual general meeting.
”If he [Van Rooyen] is re-elected, I will resign immediately. I can no longer work with that man,” said Stofile on Wednesday.
Stofile will be abdicating his seat as Saru vice-president and has accepted a nomination from the Blue Bulls Rugby Union and Free State Rugby Union to stand for the position of deputy president.
Stofile also reiterated that he has no ambition of becoming Saru president and that he will be one of the members of the president’s council who will be casting his vote for Van Rooyen’s adversary, KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins, at the annual general meeting.
”I have always said that the best person to take over the reins at Saru must be Oregan because he is a calm and collected individual at all times,” Stofile said.
Furthermore, Stofile has vehemently denied that he agreed or voted for a motion by Van Rooyen, during a president’s council meeting last year, to procure a Johannesburg office for Van Rooyen at the cost of R1-million to Saru.
”This matter was discussed in a finance committee meeting where I do not occupy a seat and neither does Oregan. This matter was never put to a vote at a president’s council meeting,” Stofile said.
Hoskins also confirmed that the matter was never put before the president’s council.
”We never voted on this issue,” Hoskins said on Wednesday from Rustenburg where he was watching the Sharks play against the Cats in Super 14 warm-up matches.
Stofile believes the inquiry into poor corporate governance should go on and that such an investigation is long overdue.
Acknowledging that he is a man often guided by his temper, Stofile lashed out at insinuations that he was influenced by his brother, Minister of Sport and Recreation Makhenkesi Stofile.
”My name is Mike Stofile and not the minister’s brother. My involvement in rugby is not influenced by the minister. He is my role model as an older brother and he is the one guy who taught us rugby administration in our home town of Alice.
”I respect him as a leader. However, I am not taking advice from him when it comes to rugby.
”This tag of the minister’s brother really makes me angry. Regardless of what happens, I will not be deterred and I will stand for the position of deputy president. I will continue to serve rugby whether I win or not,” concluded Stofile. — Sapa