SA Rugby to charge suspended WP president Zelt Marais

SA Rugby will be formally charging suspended Western Province Rugby Union president Zelt Marais for bringing the game into disrepute.

The news was confirmed on Saturday in a letter that SA Rugby president Mark Alexander sent to the member clubs of the union, which Sport24 has seen. 

Western Province was placed under administration in October last year, which saw SA Rugby take full financial and operational control of the union, which had run into administrative and financial trouble under Marais. 

Marais, who was stripped of his responsibilities, has been accused of deliberately stalling potential equity deals - with MVM Holdings, who subsequently invested in the Sharks, and an unnamed Hong Kong-based firm while the handling of the Newlands sale and development has also resulted in lawsuits.

Since October, Marais has been vocal in his disapproval of SA Rugby taking control, and he has been scathing of the organisation.

Earlier this week, he sent a letter to the member clubs in which he pointed to SA Rugby's CEO Jurie Roux still being employed despite having been ordered to pay back R37 million to the University of Stellenbosch for money he had illegally funnelled into Maties rugby club. 

"SARU is not capable of being the custodian of rugby in this country and at present the purported custodian of the affairs of the WPRFU," Marais wrote. 

Now, SA Rugby have responded, and Alexander says the time has come for action.

"Unfortunately, the suspended ex-president continues to spread misinformation and pipe dreams based on unverified financial claims or any kind of due diligence, compounded by the illegitimate use of digital letterheads," Alexander wrote.

"It is not our way to play games in the media and respond to every hare-brained