'Murderer's inclusion wrong'

2008-03-13 19:01

Cape Town - The Democratic Alliance has lambasted the Mpumalanga Rugby Union (MRU) for including a convicted murderer in the Pumas rugby team.

"It is a tragedy that the leadership of the MRU is unable to see just how wholly inappropriate its decision to include convicted murderer, 22 year-old Gert van Schalkwyk (one of the infamous 'Waterkloof Four') in the starting line-up for the provincial team the Pumas is," DA spokesperson Donald Lee said on Thursday.

Rugby was a high-profile sport in South Africa, and its players - like so many other sportspeople - were considered role models by fans throughout the country, both young and old.

"The MRU's decision to include in the Pumas side a man who has been convicted and sentenced for his role in kicking, stabbing, and beating a homeless man to death thus sends a worrying message to the public and to sports fans alike about the kind of men that we are encouraging them to look up to," Lee said.

The DA strongly opposed politicisation of sports in South Africa, and always maintained that political interests should play no part in the selection of teams at representative level.

However, decisions like these made sporting codes vulnerable to government intervention, in this instance with some justification.

"We therefore call upon the MRU and its president Hein Mentz to demonstrate the union's prudence and ability to act rationally by making a public commitment to the effect that Van Schalkwyk will not be allowed to play in any future matches for the Mpumalanga side," he said.

It was earlier reported incorrectly that the team was called the Vodacom Pumas.

- SAPA