Former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers appears to be preparing for life outside rugby and a career in politics according to the latest developments.
The latest image of de Villiers posing along side GOOD Party’s leader Patricia de Lille has come as confirmation that the former Springbok mentor has joined her political party.
De Villiers becomes mayor candidate for GOOD party
De Villiers who is, at least still on paper, still contracted as the coach of Gqeberha-based Currie Cup first division outfit the Eastern Province (EP) Elephants, is now down as a GOOD party mayoral candidate for the Drakenstein local municipality.
On Sunday, party leader De Lille announced the eight mayoral candidates from her GOOD party and in what might have proven a shock revelation to many, De Villiers found himself as one of the candidates.
READ | WATCH | “FED TO THE LIONS” TRAILER THE STORY OF FORMER SPRINGBOK COACH PETER DE VILLIERS
Speaking on the candidates, De Lille enthused that De Villiers and co. all had “proven track records and have earned the trust of their communities and have no need to tell any lies about their qualifications” in a line that could easily be interpreted as a sly dig at her former party the DA.
No previous experience
Although De Villiers had no prior experience in this regard, De Lille was confident that he had proven himself sufficiently in other spheres of life.
“He (De Villiers) knows the pressures of expectation, and the powers of teamwork. How to manage and motivate people into giving their best. How to break through false ceilings and scale global heights,” said the statement from the GOOD party
READ | EXCLUSIVE | INNOCENT RADEBE AND COURTNEY WINNAAR LEAD EP ELEPHANTS EXODUS
“He also understands the cycle of poverty, and the difficulties people of colour face when they break free of their historical cast. He has eaten at some of the poshest tables in Paarl, and also many of the poorest. And he has the experience of having worked with contracts and managing budgets,” they continued.
Party believes he was mistreated
The GOOD party also acknowledges that De Villiers did not have it easy during his tenure as Springbok coach.
“Peter (de Villiers) became one of South Africa’s most successful national rugby coaches of all time at a time that the rugby fraternity wasn’t ready for its first Black coach. In his hands, the Springboks made more of a habit of beating the All Blacks than at any other time in post-isolation history and walked over the 2009 British and Irish Lions,”
READ | SPOTTED! HAS INNOCENT RADEBE ALREADY FOUND A NEW TEAM?
“Rugby’s loss is good people’s gain. Peter is passionate about levelling the playing field in his hometown of Paarl. He wants to build a common
understanding among the people, rich and poor, of the links between dignity and justice, on the one hand, and stability and prosperity on the other,” they concluded.
from The South African https://ift.tt/3lncb9L
