Johannesburg - On the morning that South African rugby is celebrating an epic Springbok Rugby Championship win over Australia in Sydney, the news is not so rosy for embattled SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux, who is reportedly on his way out of office following six years of legal battles with Stellenbosch University, his former employers.
It is understood from Sunday newspaper Rapport that Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa has put pressure on SA Rugby to speed up Roux’s departure from the governing body. Roux recently lost his appeal against the guilty verdict in the case related to the misappropriation of R37 million from the finance department of Stellenbosch University between 2002 and 2010.
While Roux never took money for personal gain, Maties rugby club benefited from his actions, according to the courts, and Roux was ordered to pay back the misallocated funds to the university.
Roux has never shown any intention of resigning from his post as CEO of SA Rugby and he is contracted until the end of next year’s World Cup in France, but minister Mthethwa reportedly feels his position is untenable and that he must vacate his post before the end of the year.
The board of SA Rugby has supported Roux, with SA Rugby president Mark Alexander defending his non-suspension by pointing out that the misdemeanour did not occur while Roux was working for SA Rugby.
“It must be remembered that this happened with his previous employer and not with SA Rugby,” Alexander told the media earlier this year.
“It is not a cut and dried matter like it would be if he had worked for SA Rugby, there are other options we had to take, and we have to follow due processes.
“You can’t suspend a person for something that happened in a different organisation.”
But now it seems that pressure from the very top has forced the hand of SA Rugby and Roux will soon be clearing out his desk.
IOL Sport