Springboks players may not have correct South African work permit

November 19 2009 by Liam Clifford

Zimbabwean national Tendai Mtawarira, also known as the beast, does not have the correct work visa to play for South African team the Springboks.

The South African rugby team Springboks received a letter last Friday to explain that their prop Tendai Mtawarira may not have the correct South African work visa to allow him to play for the Springboks.

The letter explained that Zimbabwean-born Mtawarira was not a citizen of South Africa and did not have a South African passport. The South African immigration department also fears that the prop may lack the right to work in South Africa at all – as a result of not having a valid work permit.

Mtawarira, who is also known as ‘The Beast’, has already played 15 games for the Springboks since last summer and is seen as a role model for young black rugby players in South Africa.

The CEO of the South African Rugby Union (SARU) said, “'The Beast’ is not a citizen of South Africa. He does not even have a permit for permanent residence in South Africa. The CEO of the Sharks corroborates these facts and makes the interesting remarks: ‘There has never been any issue about his nationality’”.

He then added, “sports leaders should be the first to understand why national teams cannot play foreigners, no matter how outstanding they may be.”

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