Another damning loss for Zelt

By Jan de Koning

Tuesday 17 May 2022

BREAKING NEWS: Five suspended executive members of the Western Province Rugby Football Union were cleared by a disciplinary hearing.

The five – then vice-president Ronald Bantom, Reuben Riffel, Quintin van Rooyen, Mario Williams and Anele Zita – were charged with being in breach of the WPRFU’s codes of conduct by suspended President Zelt Marais.

The disciplinary process - initiated by Marais in October last year, before the WPRFU was placed under administration by the South African Rugby Union - finally proceeded to a hearing on April 9 this year.

The results of that protracted saga, the case against the ExCo five, were released by the DC Chairman, Ricardo Collins, on Tuesday.

The charges against all five were dismissed.

"Having had due regard to all the evidence presented, written representations made, the tribunal found that the respondents did not act in contravention of the WPRFU bye-laws, code of conduct or that of the IRB," Collins said in his findings.

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The case, one of several involving the polemical suspended President, Marais, even took a turn in the Western Cape high court.

The disciplinary action, brought by Marais against the ExCo five, followed an urgent application in the Western Cape High Court against Marais (as President) and WPRFU on September 23 last year.

They asked the court to remove Marais from office.

As @rugby365com reported at the time, judge Patrick Gamble struck the matter off the high court roll, because he did not regard it as urgent.

In the application, they accused Marais of making unilateral decisions with contract negotiations, failing or refusing to execute and implement regulations of the WPRFU ExCo and council and withholding information from members of ExCo and the council.

They also accused him of being 'in breach of his fiduciary duties' and that he is 'delinquent'.

Their suspensions at the time left only Marais and two others – Deputy President Moneeb Levy (who subsequently resigned) and Nadeema Khan – on the ExCo.

In all Marais has suspended six members of his ExCo - Junaid Moerat (in February 2021), Bantom, Riffell, Van Rooyen, Williams and Zita.

Marais, despite being suspended by SARU and facing a disciplinary hearing himself, still maintains he is the legitimate President of the WPRFU and is forging ahead with his battle against the national body.