The Mpumalanga Rugby Union will be hauled before Parliament’s portfolio committee on sports and recreation to explain why convicted murderer Gert van Schalkwyk was included in its team.
Butana Komphela, chairperson of the committee, said on Tuesday that it was immoral of the Pumas rugby team to field a convicted killer.
Komphela said that Van Schalkwyk had shown no remorse after being convicted of killing an unknown black man in a racist attack in Mpumalanga in 2001.
He said that an apology was needed from the Mpumalanga Rugby Union, the South African Rugby Union and the coach, for fielding the player in a match.
”What they did was insensitive to the relatives of the deceased as well as the whole of South Africa,” he said.
Khomphela said the portfolio committee on sport and recreation would never support a racist killer as a player. Van Schalkwyk and his accomplices had attacked and killed a defenceless black man on the basis of his race.
He said the Mpumalanga Rugby Union would soon be called before the portfolio committee to explain their reasoning behind the fielding of Van Schalkwyk.
In defence of its decision, the Mpumalanga Rugby Union has said the player was merely afforded a chance to advance his rugby career.
Van Schalkwyk, Christoff Bekker, Frikkie du Preez, and Reinach Tiedt were found guilty in 2005 of the murder of an unidentified man and of assaulting another in Waterkloof.
They were sentenced to 12 years in prison each but are currently out on bail pending the outcome of their appeal, which will be heard on April 29. – Sapa