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'Racist' rugby fans identified
04/04/2007 08:33 - (SA)
Linda de Beer, Beeld
Klerksdorp - The two spectators are alleged to have directed racist remarks at Paul Treu, the coach of the Springbok Sevens rugby team in Hong Kong, are apparently businessmen from North West.
Various Beeld readers recognised the two men from photos that were published in Tuesday's newspaper.
The men are Christo Minnie of Midcity Motors and Pietman Fourie of Midway Motors in Klerksdorp.
Attempts on Tuesday to contact the men were not successful.
Minnie's cellphone was off and Fourie gave notice through his son Hanru that he viewed the photo and the report in a serious light, and "was not going to leave the matter there".
'Feel targeted'
Fourie and Minnie, who are well-known in local rugby circles, are apparently part of a world tour group and are only expected back home in a few weeks time.
"They were sitting in the middle of a group of South Africans. How could they spit at anyone from there?" Fourie jnr said on Tuesday in response to the allegations.
"All the South African spectators jeered at him (Treu). They don't understand why they're being singled out for attention.
"The only reason I can think of is that the team selected was so poor that Treu was trying to shift the blame from himself," Fourie jnr said on behalf of his father and his father's friend.
Charlie Hales, manager of Midcity Motors, said people had been phoning the business and threatening to thump Minnie "to death".
"It's very bad for our business. I spoke to them (Minnie and Fourie) and they said nothing like that had happened."
The South African Rugby Union (Saru) phoned Treu on Tuesday to get more details of the incident.
The two men were alleged to have directed racist remarks at him following the humiliating defeat of the Boks by Samoa on Saturday in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong tournament.
Treu was busy with an interview with the freelance journalist David van der Sandt when Minnie and Fourie shouted that they blamed him (Treu) for the defeat.
According to Sapa, Van der Sandt said Treu was threatened with violence and called a "kafferboetie".
Van der Sandt said they even spat in their direction.
Treu said the matter was now in Saru's hands. He did not want to "waste any more energy on it, because he'd rather focus on the tournament this weekend in Australia".
According to Treu, Minnie and Fourie were not being targeted, but that they were specifically loud and very vocal near the tunnel where the interview was being done.
Saru spokesperson, Vusi Kama, said the incident would be investigated properly, after which appropriate steps would be taken.
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