Racial tensions simmer in SA after TV walkoff
SuperSport boss Gideon Khobane has rejected suggestions Nick Mallett walked out of a meeting held to find a resolution to the latest race row to hit South African rugby.
Mallett was meeting with Khobane, Naas Botha and former Springbok Ashwin Willemse, who stormed off a live television post-match show on Sunday, after a disagreement with Botha and Mallett.
‘‘I’ve been in the game for a long time like most of us here. As a player, I’ve been called a quota for a long time and I’ve worked very hard to earn the respect I have now. I’m not going to sit here and be patronised by these two individuals [Mallett and Botha] who played their rugby during the apartheid era, a segregated era,’’ Willemse said before walking off set.
Willemse went on to say he ‘‘can’t work with people who undermine other people’’ and that he was ‘‘glad it happened on live TV so that people can see’’.
The incident, which happened after the Lions thrashed the Brumbies, sparked intense reaction on social media, before SuperSport promised a full investigation into the incident.
After the meeting former Springbok coach Mallett was spotted leaving, Khobane told media Mallett had to leave to catch a flight to Cape Town, where it’s understood he had an appointment with a doctor.
As for progress in the meeting, Khobane said it had been encouraging but the matter remained unresolved.
Talks will continue at an undisclosed time and date, but it’s hoped the trio are back on air together this weekend.
‘‘If we take them off [air] it’s like we’ve already judged them and who is right and who is wrong. I don’t think that’s fair,’’ Khobane said.
‘‘It will send a message to the public that this one is on because he is right and this one is off because he is wrong . . . it’s not fair.
‘‘At this point, nobody’s job is on the line, up until we come to the end of our investigation.’’