Room-swopping 'was not racist'

2004-03-09 16:57

Cape Town - The room-swopping incident at last year's camp in Pretoria prior to the Rugby World Cup was not racist, a judicial committee probing the affair has found.

The report of the committee, which was chaired by Koos Basson, was made public on Tuesday by the SA Rugby Football Union (Sarfu).

The commission was set up to inquire specifically into the alleged Geo Cronjé/Quinton Davids incident and events at "Kamp Staaldraad" ahead of last year's World Cup.

A copy of the 26-page report will be handed to Sports and Recreation Minister Ngconde Balfour.

Sarfu has, meanwhile, reaffirmed its commitment to co-operating fully with the Ministry of Sport with regard to its planned investigation into alleged racism within the broader rugby community.

With regards to the Geo Cronjé/Quinton Davids allegations, Basson was tasked with establishing core facts based on information contained in a report from a preliminary investigation conducted by Sarfu in August last year, as well as on report compiled by former Springbok communications manager Mark Keohane.

On "Kamp Staaldraad", Basson's brief was to determine whether there were prima facie factual and legal grounds for a disciplinary enquiry in terms of the Sarfu constitution and its rules and regulations.

No factual element of racism

The Basson report concludes that there was no factual element of racism present in the swopping of rooms by Springbok players, or otherwise, at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria last year.

The Basson report also recommends that it is legally not possible for Sarfu to institute disciplinary action with regard to "Kamp Staaldraad".

"Factual evidence contained in the August 2003 report on the Sarfu investigation into an alleged incident and statements by Geo Cronjé and Quinton Davids confirm that this was not a racial incident," said Sarfu CEO Mveleli Ncula.

"The Sarfu executive committee had indemnified both players against disciplinary steps and Sarfu has had to determine therefore how to finalise the matter and move forward".

Referring to the Basson report's findings on "Kamp Staaldraad", the Sarfu CEO said the fact that those individuals who were responsible for the camp were either no longer employed by Sarfu or not otherwise contractually linked to Sarfu, made disciplinary steps legally impossible, whatever the merits or demerits of the camp might have been.

"It would be a fruitless and costly exercise to pursue this matter given that those responsible for the camp at the time have since had their services terminated," Ncula said.

"Certain aspects of the camp were unacceptable. If players were made to feel uncomfortable or offended by such activities, we can only apologise and assure them that this will not be allowed to happen again."

- SAPA