Kwaaitjie, o Kwaaitjie

KEITH ALLIES WRITES:



I was very much delighted to read the press release regarding the Theo Coetzee matter that raised its ugly head during a Gold Cup Rugby match at Wanderers Rugby Grounds. But after carefully studying the release I realised once again that certain people think because of the colour of their skin they own rugby and that they have the right to underestimate other ethnic groups'' intelligence.

It was a very brave move by Wanderers Rugby Club to admit the incident by Theo Coetzee was racial. It was also good to inform the nation of the one year suspension Wanderers rugby Club slapped on him.

But you cannot fool us with your lame statements. First of all Kwaaitjie was also to have apologised to the nation for dragging the good name of the country through the mud. His silence is a clear sign of no remorse. This deserves a ban not just locally but also internationally for bringing the game of rugby in disrepute.

Wanderers can only suspend him from club activities but do not have the constitutional right to ban him from all rugby. Therefore it is safe to say Kwaaitjie may move to another club and continue playing as well for the Welwitschias and the national team.

Now that Kwaaitjie has acknowledged he is guilty what action if any will the NRU and the Sports Commission take? He has violated the NRU Constitution, the Sports Act, World Rugby Constitution as well as the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia. Will they again sit backwards and wait for a complaints to be lodged and then react?

It was first of all the NRU''s duty to have investigated the allegations made at that stage when it happen­ed. Should such a person be allowed to continue wearing the national sports colours and representing the 85% of the ethnic black people he slurred with his racial remark?

My biggest concern is that the NRU was and is still silent on this very sensitive matter.

This brings me to a case brought against me and a friend, Robbie Thompson, in 2013.

It was investigated and we were charged in less than two weeks. All because I had the audacity tell the president of the NRU he was the worst president the NRU has ever had and for allegedly informing the media about the NRU''s ban to play the anthems of both countries during a womens'' rugby match between Namibia and Botswana. The reason was: "It is not NRU policy''''. This was the cause (as I was informed by a serving NRU executive member) of the actions that followed, such as:

Giving medals to the players of Pandas and Phoenix that played in the League Finals, looking for logistic support from the Directorate of Sport for the match without the approval of the NRU and allegedly defacing the Welwitschia logo and thereby bringing the game of rugby in disrepute.

I must also proudly put on record that Pandas and Phoenix (women''s rugby teams) were the only two clubs that received prize money, administration fees and transport fees from a grant received from the Namibia Women in Sports Associa­tion. This was achieved by myself, Lionel Miller and Robbie Thompson and the NRU has failed to at least equal this since 2013. And this after a promise by the NRU in 2012: “Die borge staan tou om te borg.”

I accepted all these charges and accepted a ban of two years from rugby as per the black book of the New Zealand Rugby Union. Yes, myself and Robbie were banned under the rules of a foreign country. In fact the NRU even went as far as saying we could have been slapped with a five (5) year to a life ban for our actions.

My question to the NRU is, if I and my friend Robert Thompson''s sentence was two years for the good we have done in the interest of rugby, why has nothing been done to a person for dragging the good name of the Republic of Namibia through the mud? And I wonder what his ban would be as Kwaaitjie has already admitted guilt.