Zelt Marais considers legal action after appeal panel upholds 10-year ban on former WP Rugby boss

Former Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) president Zelt Marais says he is pondering legal action after his suspension was upheld by an appeals committee.

That currently makes him ineligible to stand in Wednesday’s elections, where a new president, deputy, vice, and executive council will be elected for the WPRFU.

It will be the first elections in about four years after the union was put under administration by the national governing body, the South African Rugby Union (Saru).

This landmark decision has far-reaching implications for Marais, who will be barred from holding any position within Saru or participating in rugby activities until October 2034.

That means he won’t be up against Kevin Kiewitz, Ruben Machelm and Ronald Bantom for the presidency of the WPRFU.

Marais was also nominated for various other positions in the WPRFU, but as things stand, he will not partake in the elections.

The sanction stems from a series of misconduct charges linked to various public statements made in communications to SA Rugby members and in public forums during the years 2022 and 2024.

The serious nature of these accusations prompted a thorough examination by the appeal panel, which meticulously reviewed a 61-page finding detailing its conclusions.

The panel highlighted the gravity of the charges and the ongoing nature of the misconduct as significant factors in its decision.

It noted that Marais, as a senior figure within a member union, was well aware of his duties and responsibilities towards the governing body of South African rugby.

The lack of remorse displayed by him, even during the appeal process, further solidified the panel’s stance, highlighting also his ongoing justification of the contentious remarks as being ‘the truth’ and the absence of any public apology.

In its conclusion, the panel stated: “There had been no apology for his conduct, and in particular, no public apology for his public remarks.”

This self-justification, according to the panel, indicated a likelihood of continued inappropriate conduct unless a firm sanction was imposed.

The severity of the misconduct and ongoing lack of remorse gave the Judicial Officer sufficient grounds to enforce a stringent punishment.

With the elections looking to be a three-horse race now, WP clubs, even if it was a minority, who supported Marais, will have a big decision to make on Wednesday evening.

They will have to throw their weight behind one of the other candidates, and with the elections on a knife’s edge, it could prove vital in the final outcome of the election.