Western Province rugby has a new president and he’s all about integrity

Kevin Kiewitz was elected president of the Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) on Wednesday evening, securing 54% of the vote.

Upon his victory, he said he hopes to promote integrity and restore the union’s reputation.

Moneeb Levy has taken up the position of deputy president with 63%, while Shamila Sulayman is the new vice-president, having received 57% of the vote.

The eight additional executive committee members are Achmat Jacobs, Andre Kermis, Anton Schelhase, Francois Bonthuys, Bulelani Mlakalaka, Siyabonga Hani, Ruben Machelm, and Riaaz Khan.

The lead-up to the elections was overshadowed by controversy around former WPRFU president Zelt Marais.

Controversy in the elections

Marais had been nominated for four positions: president, deputy president, vice-president, and executive committee member.

However, the South African Rugby Union (Saru) confirmed that an independent appeal panel had upheld a disciplinary sanction against him for misconduct.

These sanctions were derived from  “various statements made in communications to SA Rugby members and in public forums in 2022 and 2024”. These had brought the game into disrepute and spread misinformation, leading to a 10-year ban from any position in rugby and a suspended R50,000 fine.

Marais’ name was removed from the ballot.

Kevin Kiewitz hopes to restore the WP brand

The union’s new president is an attorney by profession. He previously served on the union’s executive committee. There, he was instrumental in significant initiatives such as the sale of Newlands Stadium and the Red Disa equity deal. He resigned from his executive role in 2020, citing concerns over leadership decisions that he felt did not serve the game’s best interests.

“For me, it’s corporate governance, and leadership with integrity becomes important,” Kiewitz told SA Rugby magazine. “Most importantly, you need to surround yourself with knowledgeable people… people with skills and that can contribute.

“We have this opportunity now to rectify this, and what excites me is to be a part of the solution… With leadership and integrity back at the table, we can rebuild and restore the Western Province brand.”

NOTE: Since this story was published it has come to light that Marais did not attempt to enter the premises where voting was taking place and he was not blocked by security personnel, as originally reported. The sentence has been removed.