SA Rugby administrator Peter Jooste will preside over the election of a new president and executive council when the WPRFU holds a Special General Meeting on April 30 to elect new leaders. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: BackpagePix
The Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) clubs will know by Thursday who they’ll have on the ballot ahead of the elections on April 30.
A new president and executive council will be elected to steer the union to calmer waters after a period of turmoil that saw them being placed under administration by the South African Rugby Union.
Nominations closed on Monday afternoon and Peter Jooste, SA Rugby’s appointed administrator, will inform clubs via email of who exactly will stand for the presidency and other positions.
Currently, four names could be in the hat, with former executive members Kevin Kiewitz and Ronald Bantom, suspended president Zelt Marais, and former interim CEO Ruben Machelm tipped to stand for the top position and other executive titles.
Former Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) president Zelt Marais who is appealing his 10-year suspension and still running for president.
Image: Supplied
Canvassing by the candidates will in all likelihood start from the moment Jooste announces the names. The race, though, is well and truly on to elect the next president and executive after a couple of years of intense in-fighting within the union that eventually led to the SA Rugby-controlled administration.
Marais, currently appealing his 10-year suspension, is free to stand as a candidate but could be out of the running if his appeal fails. Kiewitz, president of the Tygerberg rugby club, resigned as a WPRFU executive member before the administration. Bantom was a vice-president before SA Rugby’s takeover.
It was thought to be a two-horse race between Kiewitz and Bantom for the presidency, but the resurgence of Marais and the dark horse status of Machelm, who spent time on the business side of the union, could put a spanner in the works at the end of the month.
Ronald Bantom who will throw his name in the hat for WPRFU president.
Image: File
Jooste confirmed to the clubs that a special general meeting of the union will take place at the Cape Town Stadium at the end of teh month. Apart from the top post, other contested positions will be for vice-president, deputy president, and eight positions that will form the exco of the WPRFU.
They will assume their duties immediately after the election and must work with Jooste until the latter steps down from the administrator role at the end of June 2025.
His final box to tick is the sale of Newlands, a contentious issue for the WP clubs.
The sale is to settle debt and stop litigation against the WPRFU by Dream World Investments 401 and Flyt Property Investment in the Western Cape High Court.
