Johannesburg - In the wake of a newspaper being ordered to apologise for its “biased” reporting on the divorce of former South African cricket captain Graeme Smith from his wife, Morgan Deane, Jacques Kallis has called for the two to behave in a “dignified manner” for the “sake of their children”.
On Friday, the Press Ombudsman ruled the Sunday Times, following its front-page lead story on March 8, must “apologise to Smith for stating the allegations in question (that he advised Morgan Deane via SMS that he was getting a divorce, that he lied to her, and that he had a secret divorce plan) as fact in the headlines, in its Twitter feed and in Mampara of the Week, and for suggesting, without supporting evidence, some wrongdoing on Smith’s part by the wording of its promotional posters – thereby “unnecessarily harming his dignity and reputation”.
Johan Retief, the ombudsman, found the Sunday Times “went too far” and that he “was uncomfortable with the publication of the allegations as such – given the fact that his comment was not published, and the possibility that the sources might have been biased”.
Smith has, save for brief statements, refused to comment publicly on divorce proceedings, but this has not halted stories appearing in international newspapers and local gossip magazines, rehashing much of the information in the Sunday Times story.
Much of this information has come from an anonymous source said to be close to the couple. Smith has also been accused of having an affair, which he has denied.
Kallis, who played with Smith for the Proteas since Smith’s debut in 2002, has called for restraint from the pair in a statement on Sunday and came out in support of his close friend.
“Graeme and Morgan’s impending divorce became public news about three months ago, but I hope for both of their sakes that it does not remain public,” Kallis said.
“I sincerely hope that both of them can behave in a private and dignified manner going forward for the sake of their children and not comment on the breakdown of the marriage, its causes and what has happened since the announcement was made public.
“A few newspapers and magazines have published stories with specific situations between the two of them. These publications have given one side of the story and not the other. Many of the ‘facts’ are completely incorrect.
“Graeme has insisted that any reply in the media would be in bad taste and that the children would be the victims. It has been difficult for those of us who know Graeme well to stand by and watch as these articles are written.
“I have literally grown up with Graeme, as have many of our colleagues in the cricketing community, and many of us are close friends on and off the pitch. There is little we don’t know about each other given the amount of time we spent together both in South Africa and on tour.
“Graeme has always provided for Morgan and their children… The accusations are outrageous. They are unfair and untrue. Many of the false accusations have irritated me, but the one that really makes me angry is that he is accused of going to the World Cup in Australia to be with his mates instead of his family. It is utter rubbish and seems deliberately designed to hurt,” Kallis said.
The Star