Springbok coach Jake White’s meeting with President Thabo Mbeki has been postponed, the Presidency announced on Thursday.
It was postponed at White’s request, presidential spokesperson Mukoni Ratshitanga said in a statement.
”The Presidency will schedule another meeting if or when Mr White makes another request in future,” he said.
White was to have met Mbeki in Cape Town late on Friday afternoon.
On Tuesday, the South African Rugby Union (Saru) advised White to cancel his meeting with Mbeki, claiming it had not been arranged according to protocol.
Earlier in the week, Ratshitanga dismissed as ”incorrect” reports that the meeting had been called to discuss political interference in rugby and to ask Mbeki to intervene as pressure mounted on White to resign.
”It’s a courtesy call,” he said.
The meeting was ”not to discuss rugby issues”, unless these were raised by White.
”It’s not the purpose. When he requested the meeting, he requested a courtesy call.”
Asked whether he would still be meeting Mbeki, White said on Wednesday: ”I don’t know yet.”
He was speaking at the announcement of the Springbok team for the Test match against Australia at Newlands, in Cape Town, on Saturday.
White would not comment on the Saru decision, explaining that there was ”a process under way”.
In a statement on Tuesday, Saru said White’s ”bold step” indicated that he ”has issues that are unresolved between himself and his leadership”.
”The leadership would therefore like to afford Mr White an opportunity to raise his concerns internally before he can take any issues to an external audience,” it said.
Also on Tuesday, Saru cleared White of misconduct over allegations that he ordered the assault of a journalist at a private function in Johannesburg last week.
The claims came about a month after Saru threatened to sack White if he did not accept its decision to overrule the selectors and place Luke Watson in the Springbok squad. — Sapa