Soft-drink giant Coca-Cola, broadcaster SuperSport and the Octagon group of companies have withdrawn from the annual Nelson Mandela Invitational golf tournament.
The three companies said in a joint statement on Wednesday they believed their continued participation in the tournament would be ”inappropriate”.
Coca-Cola spokesperson Jackie Mfeka said the organisations arrived at the decision on Tuesday, following a stand-off between the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (NMCF) and host Gary Player.
According to Coca-Cola, the annual tournament was no longer viable because of recent developments in the past few weeks.
”At Coca-Cola we have always prided ourselves on raising funds for children’s charities through our sponsorship of this tournament, and we regret the fact that the golf invitational is no longer viable following the events of the past few weeks,” said Coke’s Kaizer Nyatsumba.
SuperSport will not cover the event following the withdrawal of Coke and the NMCF.
”While it is not for us to comment on the merits of the controversy, we believe it is inappropriate for us to continue with the broadcast of the event under these circumstances,” said SuperSport.
Last month the NMCF — which also withdrew from the tournament and had requested that the tournament no longer be marketed as or called the Nelson Mandela Invitational — asked Player to step down as the host and honorary guest of the tournament because of his links with the controversial Burmese regime.
Player’s company was involved in the construction of the Pun Hlaing Golf Club where junta generals were said to spend their time negotiating business deals. — Sapa