‘I’m being persecuted like the biblical Paul’ says former Springboks coach laments

Former Springbok head coach turned politician Peter de Villiers has turned to the bible to make an analogy about his recent suspension from his political party in South Africa due to sexual harassment allegations.

De Villiers was suspended from South Africa’s GOOD party earlier this month after he allegedly made sexual advances to a party member in January. He allegedly groped a fellow public representative of the party – and was suspended from GOOD after a complaint was lodged with the South African Police Service.

During his time as the Boks’ head coach – from 2008 and 2011 – De Villiers often hit the headlines for his biblical quotes and it was a similar situation when asked by Afrikaans newspaper Rapport to comment on the allegations made against him.

Following God’s instructions

According to the publication, the 66-year-old said God said he should rather stay quiet about the sexual harassment allegations made against him.

However, he added that he feels like the biblical Paul, who had to face the Jewish council after Roman authorities found that he posed no threat to their empire and that the dispute was an internal one amongst Jews.

Whether De Villiers therefore thinks the complaint against him is a power play by his political party (GOOD) was left unanswered.

“My lawyer doesn’t want me to talk either,” he told Rapport.

According to a Media24 report, De Villiers dropped the complainant at home following an event at the end of January and then allegedly sexually assaulted her.

De Villiers allegedly groped the fellow public representative of the party who then reported De Villiers to GOOD’s national structure which subsequently suspended him.

According to sources, De Villiers and the woman who is accusing him of the sexual offence were part of the same caucus within GOOD and often worked together on projects.

John Michels, who serves as deputy mayor of the Theewaterskloof municipality and also as one of GOOD’s leaders in the Western Cape, said De Villiers and the complainant recently helped him gather votes during a by-election in Grabouw – a town which is about 70 kilometres outside of Cape Town.

“There is a possibility that it (the allegation) could be true, but you never know,” Michels told Rapport. “The two of them were always together. She still did my administration work during the by-elections.”

Shortly before the alleged incident, the complainant was still praising De Villiers when she shared a video on Facebook in which he talks about how people are empowered.

A police spokesman, Captain FC van Wyk, confirmed that the Vredenburg police station’s unit responsible for domestic violence, child protection and sexual offenses is investigating a complaint of sexual assault.

“No one has been arrested yet and no further details about the case will be discussed,” he said.

Suspension does not mean he is guilty

The former Springbok coach’s suspension does not imply guilt, according to GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron, and De Villiers will continue to serve as a member of parliament for the Western Cape until the accusations are thoroughly looked into.

Between 2008 and 2011, De Villiers was South Africa’s coach. The Springboks won the 2009 Tri-Nations championship and a three-Test series against the British & Irish Lions.

Following that, he served as a coach for Eastern Province in 2021 and Zimbabwe in 2018 and 2019.