Mark Boucher says “unjustified” allegations of racism caused him “considerable hurt and anguish”.
On Tuesday, CSA withdrew all disciplinary charges against the Proteas coach, including those arising from the Social Justice & Nation-Building (SJN) report and the investigation following former assistant coach Enoch Nkwe’s resignation.
Boucher had been accused of calling former Proteas teammate Paul Adams a “brown s**t” during the singing of a team song.
However, on Sunday, Adams released a statement explaining why he would not testify at Boucher’s disciplinary hearing, which had been scheduled to take place from 16-20 May.
Adams said it wasn’t his “intention to single Mark Boucher out” as one of the players who sang the song and that “it is not my job or desire to find Mark Boucher guilty or not guilty, and to be cross-examined and turned into the main focus of attention”.
Adams’ refusal to testify at Boucher’s disciplinary hearing, and the fact that Adams had accepted Boucher’s apology during the SJN hearings, were significant factors in CSA’s decision to withdraw the charges.
In a statement on Tuesday, Boucher said: “The allegations of racism which were levelled against me were unjustified and have caused me considerable hurt and anguish.
“The last few months have been extremely difficult to endure for me and my family. I am glad that the process has finally come to an end and that CSA has accepted that the charges against me are unsustainable.
“I stand by my apology to Paul given during the SJN process for the hurt he felt during his time as a Proteas player. As I stated in my affidavit to the SJN process, some of the things that were said and done in those days were totally inappropriate and unacceptable and, in retrospect, understandably offensive.
“I am proud to now be part of a team culture that is inclusive and whose objective is to be respectful to every person.
“I consider that the matter is now finalised and closed and I do not intend making further statements on this matter. I look forward to continuing to focus on my job and to taking the Proteas men’s team to even greater heights.”
Photo: Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images
