REVEALED: Surprise entry in WPRFU race

SPOTLIGHT: Zelt Marais, despite his 10-year ban, may insist he is still the Western Province Rugby Football Union President, but his name is not on the list of nominees for an election later this month.

The deadline for nominations for elections – to be held on Monday, November 25 – is on Sunday, November 10.

@rugby365com can reveal that there are three candidates for the vacant position of WPRFU President – Kevin Kiewitz, Ronald Bantom and Ruben MacHelm.

The latter, MacHelm, is a former associate of Marais, while the former two were adversaries of Marais in the tumultuous period that preceded WPRFU being placed under administration in October 2021.

Kiewitz, an attorney specialising in conveyance and property management, resigned as an executive committee member in June 2020.

His nomination was confirmed on Friday by his club Tygerberg.

In 2020 Bantom replaced Spencer King during a ‘by-election’.

In September 2021 Bantom was one of five WPRFU ExCo members that filed documents in the Cape High Court to remove Marais from office.

Bantom, the vice-president at the time, Reuben Riffel, Quintin van Rooyen, Mario Williams and Anele Zita accused Marais of making unilateral decisions with contract negotiations, failing or refusing to execute and implement regulations of the WPRFU ExCo and council and withholding information from members of ExCo and the council.

Initially, it was suggested that the dash for presidency would be a two-horse race by Kiewitz and Bantom.

However, on Friday MacHelm’s club Morning Star nominated him.

According to reports he has support from a disenfranchised grouping that doesn’t see eye-to-eye with Kiewitz and Bantom.

Machelm was the interim CEO of Western Province Professional Rugby for 18 months, from March 2021.

Machelm was seconded temporarily to assume responsibility for ‘some of the tasks’ that would fall within the job description of the CEO.

His stay was extended when SARU placed WPRFU under administration in October 2021.

Kiewitz is in the spotlight for his role in WPRFU being placed under administration – a fact his club acknowledged in their statement on social media.

They said he was involved in the successful conclusion of the equity deal with Red Disa, as well as the approval and finalisation of the sale of Newlands.

* To recap: The South African Rugby Union finally ran out of patience with the troublous former WPRFU President, Marais.

@rugby365com revealed, at the time, that a disciplinary hearing has slapped Marais with a 10-year ban and a ZAR50,000 fine – suspended for five years.

SARU brought eight charges against Marais for ‘repeated breaches’ of the SARU Code of Conduct.

On September 30 a ruling was made on the merits and Marais was found guilty on all eight charges.

@king365ed
@rugby365com

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