AfriForum uncovered an SMS in which ABSA insists that the South African Rugby Union (SARU) include more black players and consequently fewer white players in the Currie Cup series. The SMS shows that ABSA was dishonest when it stated in the media and in a meeting with AfriForum that it does not prescribe racial quotas for the selection of rugby teams and does not put pressure on SARU to select fewer white players for Currie Cup teams.
The exact wording of the SMS that Louis von Zeuner, deputy chief executive of ABSA, sent to the president of SARU, Oregan Hoskins, after the Currie Cup matches played on 11 September is as follows:
"Regan, I think you should write to the major unions on black players - judging from today's games Lions 2, Bulls 1, Cheetahs 2 - they are not respecting the spirit and goals of transformation. Louis."
Absa has since admitted to AfriForum that Von Zeuner sent the mentioned SMS to Hoskins. Hoskins' threatening letter to provincial rugby unions, in which he insists that fewer white and more black players be selected, was a direct result of the SMS and was sent two days after the SMS.
According to Kallie Kriel, executive director of AfriForum, ABSA deserves a red card for trying to force racially driven team selections on rugby and subsequently lying to rugby supporters shamelessly by denying it.
Kriel indicated that AfriForum, in light of ABSA's lies, is intensifying its campaign against ABSA. "Thousands of members of the public have already showed their support for the campaign against ABSA on AfriForum's Facebook page Stop ABSA quotas and the petition that can be signed on the website www.afriforum.co.za," Kriel said. Kriel said he expects that support for the campaign against ABSA will increase dramatically after the revelation of ABSA's controversial SMS. The public can also SMS the words "AfriForum stop ABSA" to 34050 to show their disapproval.
The overwhelming support that AfriForum's campaign against ABSA is receiving at the moment shows, according to Kriel, that the public is extremely upset about the double standards that this bank has displayed. Absa, as a sponsor of Bafana Bafana, did not object when Bafana participated in the Fifa World Cup with only black players, but, as a rugby sponsor, is trying to be prescriptive about the racial composition of rugby teams.
"If ABSA does not apologise in public for its conduct that points to an obsession with race, the public will let their money do the talking against Absa," Kriel warned.
Kriel reaffirmed that AfriForum is in favour of sport development in all communities and has called on ABSA to promote rugby development further instead of forcing racially driven team selection on rugby teams.
Statement issued by Kallie Kriel, CEO: AfriForum, September 21 2010
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