Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile has criticised Springbok coach Peter de Villiers’s latest controversial statement about Bees Roux, urging him to get a media spokesperson.
“Even I don’t always understand what he says,” Stofile said, according to a media report.
“Goodness man! Get yourself a spokesperson!,” he added.
He was replying to a question by a journalist from Die Burger newspaper who asked for comment on De Villiers’ statement that the Springboks were 100% behind Blue Bulls player Bees Roux, arrested for allegedly beating a metro cop to death.
Stofile said: “It’s disgraceful to say that you support someone 100% when he possibly took another person’s life in such a brutal manner. If this was the old South Africa, he would have been charged as an accomplice for that kind of statement.”
‘It’s unacceptable’
The sports minister said he wanted the SA Rugby Union to say how it was going to act against De Villiers.
“The entire organisation’s name is being dragged through the mud. It’s unacceptable,” said Stofile.
He advised De Villiers to get a media spokesperson, something he said he had suggested when he was appointed as coach.
“Peter is a man who loves to talk … Today we are embarrassed and angry about what he said. You can’t be delighted when someone is killed. Peter, please don’t expose yourself to the media like that.”
The Times newspaper reported last week that De Villiers may face disciplinary charges for his statement, but Saru had not made any announcements yet.
Earlier this month, De Villiers was asked to comment on the Roux saga.
According to www.allafrica.com, his exact words were: “We definitely talked about Bees Roux. We feel for all South Africans and especially rugby players. A situation like this could happen to
anybody. People are ugly outside, they’re dirty and they try and use everything to stop us from bringing hope to the people out there. It’s a tragic situation and we wish it upon nobody. The team supports him 100%. Not on the deed, but … how the situation developed.” – Sapa