Springbok prop Tendai Mtawarira has won a significant battle when he was cleared to tour with the Springboks on South Africa's year-end trip to Europe and Ireland.

In what appears to be some extraordinary political interference in rugby, the Sports Ministry had attempted to block the participation of burly prop, Mtawarira, in the Boks' five-match trip - which will see them play Tests against France, Italy and Ireland.

In a statement issued on Saturday the South African Rugby Union confirmed that the government had attempted to stop the player from travelling with his teammates, but that "productive discussions" between SARU and the Sports Ministry resolved the issue.

According to the statement SARU was alerted to clauses in the National Sport & Recreation Amendment Act, 2007, which needed to be completed before the Zimbabwean-born Mtawarira's place in the end-of-year tour squad could be confirmed.

"We are delighted with the news, after discovering this problem during the week," SARU President Oregan Hoskins said in a statement.

"The government has been very helpful in expediting the completion of the necessary protocols and we're all relieved that Mtawarira will be available for selection for the Springboks against France in Toulouse on Friday [November 13]."

The protocol revolved around clause 6(3) of the National Sport and Recreation Amendment Act of 2007, which requires an explanation to the Minister of Sport for the selection of non-South African nationals.

The ministry, more than 18 months after his Bok debut, suddenly wanted to know how a Zimbabwean is playing for South Africa.

It is not clear why they have not questioned other Zimbabwean Boks - such as Tonderai Chavhanga and Brian Mujati, although neither are members of the current Bok squad.

South African Rugby Union President Oregan Hoskins and Andy Marinos, the acting MD of SA Rugby, had been in negotiations with the office of the ministry for the past week.

The 24-year-old Mtawarira, who was schooled at the famous Peterhouse outside Harare, is currently training with the Bok Test team in South Africa.

The midweek selection departed for England last week, to prepare for Friday's opening tour match, and will join up with the Test starting XV in Toulouse next week - ahead of the opening international against France next Friday, November 13.

The Test team will depart for Toulouse only on Tuesday.

Mtawarira, who has played 19 Tests since his debut against Wales last year, has become a cult figure in the Green and Gold, with chants of 'Beeaaast' ringing out around the world whenever he touches the ball.

He was an integral part in South Africa beating the British and Irish Lions earlier this year, especially in the first Test when he won a Man-of-the-match award for his destructive scrumming against England veteran Phil Vickery, and played an equally import role in the Boks winning the Tri-Nations this year - which included a whitewash of South Africa's arch rivals New Zealand.

Mtawarira has been playing in South Africa since 2005, where he came through the Sharks academy, and has qualified to play for South Africa on the three-year residency basis. He qualified in 2008 as a Bok.

The office of the Sport Ministry was unavailable for comment, with media liaison officer Lerato Mogorosi refusing to take calls from this website.

However, we can reveal that the government's complaint relates to National (and recreation) federations employing foreign sportsmen.

The relevant legislation states that: National federations must —

(a) before recruiting a foreign sport person to participate in sport in the Republic, satisfy themselves that there are no other persons in the Republic suitable to participate in such a sport;
(b) ensure that such a recruited sports person complies with all the relevant criteria pertaining to entry into the Republic as contemplated in the Immigration Act, 2002 (Act No 13 of 2002);
(c) advise the Minister in writing of the full names and countries of origin of all such persons recruited for such purposes and confirm that there are no other suitable persons in the Republic as contemplated in paragraph (a); and
(d) ensure that the recruitment conforms to the guidelines issued by the Minister in terms of section 13A.
(4) For the purposes of this section, "foreign sports person" means any person recruited in terms subsection (3) to participate in sport in the Republic including administrators or support staff."

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