Roux retains Saru Exco support
The South African Rugby Union’s Executive Council has thrown its weight behind embattled chief executive Jurie Roux.
|||The South African Rugby Union’s Executive Council has thrown its weight behind embattled chief executive Jurie Roux in the ongoing saga regarding alleged financial mismanagement.
Roux has been accused of mismanaging funds while working at Stellenbosch University as a senior director of finance and asset management following an audit report by KPMG.
He is alleged to have redirected funds to the tune of around R35 million from the university to the Maties Rugby Club, of which he was the chairman, to allegedly provide bursaries for the club’s players between 2002 and 2010.
SA Rugby Exco is pleased to announce that Jurie Roux retains its unanimous support to continue as CEO, confirming a decision taken in 2014.
— South African Rugby (@Springboks) March 3, 2016
Stellenbosch University filed a civil claim of R32 million against Roux in the Western Cape High Court, which Roux is opposing.
Roux left Stellenbosch in 2010 after being appointed as the Saru chief executive.
The university appointed KPMG to conduct a forensic audit, and they completed it in 2013. Despite being given the report, Saru were satisfied with Roux’s explanation of the matter and extended his contract as the chief executive for another five years in August 2014.
But in recent months, the matter has reportedly created division between Roux and Saru president Oregan Hoskins, who had initially supported the chief executive but now apparently wanted him to be suspended until the matter was resolved in the courts.
The full statement from SA Rugby can be read here: https://t.co/dxQh9UNoo7
— South African Rugby (@Springboks) March 3, 2016
The Saru Executive Council backed Roux, though, and reiterated their stance on Thursday evening in a strongly-worded statement after seeking expert legal opinion from law firm ENSafrica, stating that Roux retains the Exco’s “unanimous support to continue in his role as the organisation’s CEO, confirming a decision the Council had first taken in 2014”.
“Advocate SA Cilliers SC and Professor Michael Katz, of ENSafrica, were asked to review SA Rugby’s handling of the matter and the relevant labour law on the basis of the evidence at hand,” the statement read.
“Their review confirmed that SA Rugby’s Executive Council had appropriately applied its fiduciary duties and also advised that it would be an unfair labour practice to take action against an employee on perceptions of third parties or on the basis of a report of which the facts had not been tested in court.
“They recommended that SA Rugby continued to employ Roux – as long as he performed satisfactorily.
“In light of the opinion, the Executive Council confirmed their unanimous support for Roux. His performance in the role has been of an exemplary standard, during which time he has at no stage brought the game into disrepute.
“SA Rugby regards the matter as now closed until the outcome of any legal action between the two parties.”
ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za
@IndyCapeSport