Tensions between rival factions at the embattled EP Rugby Union escalated on Monday when ousted president Gerald Antonie accused acting president George Malgas of being a lying dictator.
Antonie was replying to claims made by Malgas that he had not been served with court papers on Friday applying for rescission of judgment on an order that was made in June for Malgas to replace Antonie.
The court ruled the rescission application would be made on October 22, which is only weeks before EP is scheduled to hold a hotly disputed elective meeting on November 30.
While Malgas says no papers were served on him on Friday, Antonie has hit back accusing him of being a liar.
An incensed Antonie says he is confident the court will rule in his favour and says elections will only be held in February 2025 and not on November 30.
If the application is successful, it could see Antonie taking over the union for a second time.
“I want to correct the lies told by George Malgas,” Antonie said.
“George was served with his papers on Friday, and he is a respondent.
“He is misleading the people and the court judgment he had [in his favour] did not make him the acting president.
“Malgas came back as the vice-president of EP and that is the first thing that I want to correct.
“The way he entered the office was not correct procedure.
“The union was supposed to be informed and if you read that judgment there is nothing to say George has been appointed again as the acting president.
“George took SA Rugby, EP Rugby, Valerie Witbooi, Elbo Prins, Benjamin Bans, Roger Serfontein and myself to court.
“After that judgment, there was not a single executive meeting where all the executive members were supposed to meet.
“That is the situation up until today.
“The lies to the people of Nelson Mandela Bay from a lawyer is that he had an executive meeting.
“But with whom if the executive members are all out?
“His interpretation of his court order is that he wants to cling to power and the way he is doing things shows it is a one-man show.
“There is no such thing that he is consulting any person and he is a dictator who wants to control everything.
“The only thing he is looking after is to become the president of EP.
“The courts will decide and we are communicating with his legal team.
“The two law companies are in charge of operations now and we must just wait for the outcome.
“All of us got our papers on Friday, including George.
“He is lying that he did not receive any papers.
“It is SA Rugby, EP clubs and the EP executive against George Malgas.
“We want the judgment rescinded because there was no court date.
“There were also a lot of flaws and the documentation was not up to standard.
“But I do not want to elaborate more on the matter at this stage.
“He ]Malgas] can put his side of the story [across] on October 22.
“The EP clubs are the ones bringing this application to the courts.
“I am very confident I will be reappointed as president.
“We will put this thing to a stop and in the future rugby people will decide on rugby matters and not the courts.
“The reason we are doing this is to show George we also understand and we are educated about what the rights and wrongs are in the constitution and we will uphold it.”
Attempts to reach Malgas for comment were unsuccessful.
Earlier, in Monday’s edition of The Herald, a defiant Malgas vowed to fight his corner and strongly oppose any moves to have him removed from office.
Malgas said EP held an executive meeting on Saturday to discuss several issues, including a photo of a court document circulating on social media.
“I saw a photo of the rescission document on Friday and it was forwarded to me as Roger Serfontein’s WhatsApp status,” Malgas said.
“I did not bother myself too much with it because the legal process is quite clear.
“I and others need to be served before it becomes official, so I’m not sure what the intention was behind it.
“I have not been served with any applications.
“Should, however, an application be filed by whoever the applicants are in the matter, I have a resolution from the executive committee that we will oppose it as the EPRU.
“It is not a court order, but an application where they want to rescind, and they want the court to cancel the original order.”
Judge Vuyokazi Noncembu ruled in Malgas’s favour after he applied in April to have Antonie and Serfontein removed from office.
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