JOHANNESBURG – Former Zimbabwean sports minister David Coltart, has lashed out at Tunisian authorities after former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers and his Zimbabwe rugby side were forced to sleep in the streets of the capital Tunis while returning home from Kenya.
“Our national rugby team the Sables are being treated in the most appalling way in Tunisa.They have been forced to sleep on the streets as the accommodation they were provided with is disgusting,” Coltart said in a Tuesday morning Facebook post.
The former minister added that on arrival in Tunis on Monday the team was held up for six hours at the border because authorities claimed they still needed to pay for visas amounting to 600 Euros. This followed most team members only sleeping for two hours the previous night.
"On arrival they spent 6 hours held up at border and the authorities have taken their passports claiming they need to pay for visas amounting to 600 euro which they cant pay as they dont have funds. Most team members only had 2 hours sleep last night. The ZRU board appear to have done nothing about the situation along with the SRC. Coach De Villiers and the managers are on the street with the players. Come on Zimbabwe. How can we allow a national team, our flag carriers, to be treated like this?"
He further queried what action Zimbabwe’s current sports minister, Kazembe Kazembe, would be taking, and appealed to Zimbabwe's ambassador to Senegal and The Gambia Trudy Stevenson, the country's closest envoy to Tunisia by geography, to intervene.
More pics the Sables Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 National Team opt to sleep 😴 on the streets in protest to the poor their poor treatment. Wow this is a disgrace!!! @ZimbabweSables @Trends_SADC @PamtengoSports @PeterDeVillier5 @zimbabwerugby @rchakoreka @RugbyTUN_ @RugbyAfrique #Disgraceful pic.twitter.com/HvX4C5HVYT
— Gamba (@Gambasports) July 3, 2018
@kyrossports @DavidColtart It’s alleged Sables rugby team slept on the streets of Tunisia last night. pic.twitter.com/mayUXveKzh
— rickinzim (@rickinzim) July 3, 2018