Don’t be fooled, Etzebeth hasn’t been cleared of racism: Khoisan group

The Khoisan Defiance Campaign has come out guns blazing, labelling a report that found Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth to be “not complicit in” racism and assault as a blatant attempt to mislead the public.

The campaign did not mince its words when it reacted to the finding of former judge Johann van der Westhuizen, after an internal investigation into an altercation in Langebaan in the Western Cape ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup (RWC).

Etzebeth had been accused of racism and using derogatory language.

“What a blatant and deliberate attempt by SA Rugby and the media to deliberately mislead South Africa about the Etzebeth case.

“The news headlines created a false impression that a court of law acquitted and found Etzebeth innocent," campaign leader Sammy Claassen said on Monday.

The body laid a complaint of racial assault against Etzebeth with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) ahead of the world cup. Those cases have not been finalised.

“The truth is that the criminal and human rights cases are still continuing and no ruling has been made by any sitting judge or courts‚" he said.

“Thus far, both cases still need to go to trial for judgment.

“It is only an internal SA Rugby investigation that cleared Etzebeth‚ but we expected [the outcome], as we have no faith or trust in this cabal.

“However it is important to report that the criminal investigations and docket were handed to the National Prosecuting Authority and Etzebeth will know his fate once they have ruled on the case and evidence at hand.

“The human rights case is still continuing against Etzebeth and is set for trial in the Equality Court.

“We call on the NPA to speed up its decision regarding the criminal case and we also call on the SAHRC to speed up the case and bring it to the Equality Court for judgment.

“We call on the media to stop misleading the public.

“We want justice and the courts will have [the] final say. No retreat, no surrender. Justice delayed is justice denied‚” said Claassen.

Andy Colquhoun‚ SA Rugby’s general manager for communications‚ told TimesLIVE on Sunday evening that “this was a matter between an employer and employee, and it’s [protected] by confidentiality.

“So we have got nothing say on the matter. We wanted to preserve that confidentiality.”