SA rugby boss accused of sexual harassment

CAPE TOWN - Barely days after South Africa's rugby chiefs had brushed aside one crisis, they were faced by reports of even more disturbing behaviour by the brains trust at SA Rugby's headquarters.

A report in weekend newspapers claimed SA Rugby was forced to pay a secretary $50,000 after she accused new managing director Johan Prinsloo of sexual harassment, victimisation and intimidation.

The latest shocker in SA Rugby came after the hierarchy apparently buried the hatchet at the inaugural meeting of the President's Council of SA Rugby in Johannesburg on Thursday.

SA Rugby president Brian van Rooyen and his two lieutenants -- Andre Markgraaff (vice-president) and deputy president Mike Stofile -- decided to address their differences in private rather than the public domain.

But the report on Prinsloo's behaviour has cast the spotlight firmly back on the rugby bosses.

According to a report in South Africa's Sunday Times newspaper Mandy Janke, former personal assistant to managing director Johan Prinsloo, was paid a year's salary (approx $50,000)) late last year as part of an agreement ending her employment. The agreement included a confidentiality clause.

According to the report Janke accused him of sexual harassment, victimisation, intimidation and making it impossible for her to do her job.

The Sunday Times claims to be in possession of her letter of complaint, in which Janke said her sexual harassment claims were related to comments Prinsloo made about women.

She cited two incidents, one involving national sevens coach Paul Treu and the other office colleague Coris Zietsman.

She said that in the first incident she had walked in on a briefing between Treu and Prinsloo.

"He said to Paul: 'You must tell your boys that they must play more with their balls and less with strange woman's (sic) tits in hotel rooms'," she said.

"Paul looked very embarrassed by my being in the room and I felt completely violated and disrespected as a woman and employee."

Janke said Prinsloo also "insisted" on calling Zietsman by his nickname, "Clitoris", which she found "humiliating and embarrassing".

"I am left with feelings of cheapness and of being disrespected when such comments are made," she wrote.

According to the Sunday Times, Janke also said that Prinsloo issued a "thinly veiled warning" to her when she reported him (Prinsloo) to SA Rugby board chairman Theunie Lategan.

- NZPA