CEO Kallie Kriel is seen during a press briefing at Afriforum's head office where he announced that they intend to privately prosecute Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema on charges of fraud and corruption, 19 April 2018, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel has rallied behind former rugby players Nick Mallett and Naas Botha following a walkout by former Springbok winger Ashwin Willemse during a live SuperSport rugby broadcast on Saturday.
Willemse walked out of the SuperSport studios after an apparent disagreement with his two co-presenters.
Kriel was quick to show his support for Botha and Mallett, dismissing any racial undertones from the broadcast.
Kriel reportedly said AfriForum found Willemse’s outburst, where he claimed his two co-presenters were patronising, regrettable.
He said he believed in a society that promoted mutual recognition and respect between communities.
Kriel characterised Saturday night’s incident as exacerbating racial polarisation in South Africa, as no investigation into the incident was made before public judgment.
The lobby group’s CEO labelled the incident as full of the anti-white sentiment he claimed was rife in the country, as white people were automatically “blamed” for whatever went wrong.
Sport Minister Tokozile Xasa has urged Supersport to suspend Botha and Mallett while investigations into the incident continue.
According to Xasa, the continued appearance of Botha and Mallett could be seen as an endorsement of their alleged racist behavior.
The South African Rugby Union said something was amiss following Willemse’s walkout on Saturday. It said the incident reflected negatively on rugby and that reasons for the former Springbok walking off the set were still unclear.
SuperSport said the investigations were still in their preliminary stages.
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