Mixed signals as HRC insist they have solid case against Etzebeth

Bongani Majola, chairman of the Human Rights Commission, has emphatically refuted a weekend report that claimed the institution doesn’t have enough evidence for its case in the Equality Court against Eben Etzebeth.

Rapport cited a transcript of a meeting between the HRC’s commissioners, where chief executive Tseliso Thipanyane expressed concerns over a lack of concrete accounts that the Springbok lock had allegedly hurled racial slurs at Langebaan residents.

The paper also intimated that the HRC pushed ahead with its plan to approach the Equality Court merely to cover up procedural shortfalls in its own investigation and was scared of a backlash from the local community should there be a perception that there wasn’t action being taken against Etzebeth.

However, Majola on Monday told eNCA that the “report was totally incorrect”.

“We do have the evidence in which we decided to go to the Equality Court and also it is not true that the CEO of the commission ever said that there is insufficient evidence, in fact during that meeting that I chaired, there was never any issue of the sufficiency of the evidence,” he said.

He also suggested that Thipanyane’s quotes were nitpicked and taken out of context.

“I don’t know how this conclusion was reached. The documented transcript showed that we do have evidence. I think only a few specific lines where picked up from the document. It wasn’t read as a whole.”

Etzebeth last month laid a complaint at the South Gauteng High Court, alleging that the Commission lacked objectivity and sound procedure in its investigation.

For more sport your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.