Cape Town - The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on Friday announced that it came to a mutual agreement with Springbok rugby player Eben Etzebeth to withdraw the review application in the High Court in Pretoria, over a complaint that the lock racially abused four men in Langebaan, Cape Town.
"The South African Human Rights Commission and Mr. Eben Etzebeth and have agreed to withdraw the Review Application in the Pretoria High Court," the joint statement released by the SAHRC read.
"The matter is to proceed to the Equality Court to reach finality in a more expeditious and amicable manner. Both Mr Etzebeth and the Commission are confident that this would be in the best interests of all parties involved."
The SAHRC said it received a complaint in August 2019 alleging that the Springbok rugby player, "physically and racially" abused the complainants in Langebaan during an altercation.
Previous reports soon after the alleged incident said Etzebeth met with the SAHRC and "strongly denied" the allegations.
The SAHRC was representing the four men in the Equality Court case. The alleged assault happened on August 25, while Etzebeth and a group of friends were leaving a pub. The men were looking for compensation of more than R1 million, undergo anger management and racial sensitivity training.
Etzebeth has denied the allegations and has hit back at the claims in the high court asking for the SAHRC's decision to bring a case against him in the Equality Court be set aside.