The North Gauteng high court in Pretoria has advised the Agency for New Agenda to seek legal representation to avoid being “devoured by the sharks” in the legal bid to stop the Springboks' departure for the Rugby World Cup in England.
Judge Ntendeya Mavundla on Wednesday stood the matter down until the afternoon after realising that the applicant‚ president of the little-known political party‚ Mohlomola Mokhoanatse‚ intended to represent himself.
The Judge took his time persuading Mokhoanatse to get legal representation‚ saying the pond that he was about to jump in “might appear calm but the water could be travelling at a tremendous speed at the bottom”.
Judge Mavundla went on to elaborate on the importance of the transformation debate‚ saying it was a sensitive matter that needed to be properly aired‚ and that Mokhoanatse might not be articulate enough to be able to argue his case persuasively.
“When you jump into a pot you may know how to feed but when there are fishes that bite‚ it might be wise to get a scuba diver‚” he said.
The Agency for New Agenda‚ previously known as South Africa First‚ is dragging the SA Rugby Union and minister of sport and recreation Fikile Mabalula to court for an order for Springbok players to surrender their passports‚ preventing them from flying to England for the World Cup later this month‚ due to their alleged failure to adhere to transformation policies.
The party also wants the court to order government to institute a commission of inquiry into lack of transformation in SA rugby.
Judge Mavundla said the issue of transformation was highly sensitive and that the general feeling was that the “transformation wheels are grinding slow”.
He said it was for this reason that he requested the Bar Council to make available a senior counsel to assist Mokhoanatse to argue his case‚ adding that Mokhoanatse was entitled to legal representation as enshrined in the constitution.
Mokhoanatse took the Judge's advice and the matter stood down until 2pm.
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