- SA Rugby’s internal investigation has cleared Eben Etzebeth on both counts of alleged racism and assault.
- A community leader assisting the four complainants says the courts will have the final say.
- Etzebeth’s lawyer says they welcome SARU’s decision, and added that their stance “has not changed”.
An internal SA Rugby investigation has cleared Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth of racism and assault, but he still has a case to answer before the courts, a community leader said on Monday.
West Coast leader Sammy Claassen was reacting to a story by Rapport that the SARU investigation found Etzebeth not guilty of both counts, which related to an incident in Langebaan in 2019.
Claassen had assisted the four complainants at the time.
“The truth is that both the criminal and human rights cases are still continuing and no ruling has been made by any sitting judge or courts thus far. Both cases still need to go to trial for judgment,” he said.
“We want justice and the courts will have its final say. No retreat no surrender. Justice delayed is justice denied,” he said.
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The South African Human Rights Commission was representing the four men in the Equality Court case against Etzebeth, who was accused of allegedly using a racial insult when leaving a pub in Langebaan on the West Coast in the early hours of August 25, 2019, with a group of friends.
The men were looking for compensation of more than R1 million, orders directing Etzebeth to apologise and to undergo anger management and racial sensitivity training, as well as doing community service.
There was also a pending criminal case.
Etzebeth’s lawyer Andre Calitz welcomed the outcome of the SA Rugby investigation.
“We haven’t changed our stance. Our client’s version hasn’t changed because it hasn’t needed to change. He is not guilty and we are glad that the internal inquiry in SARU has found him not guilty,” he said on Monday.
Before leaving for the Rugby World Cup in Japan, Etzebeth had denied the allegations on his Facebook.
He said: “It is completely untrue and unfounded to claim that I physically or racially abused anyone in Langebaan as has been reported on social media. Multiple witnesses can corroborate that.
“I am and will always strive to be a true ambassador to this beautiful rainbow nation and the sport that I love,” he said.
