A SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING is called for 18h30 Wed. 4th
February 2015 in the Clubhouse. All full Members are urged to be fully informed
and to attend.
Click on this link to read Adv. Olivier's report:
Adv. Olivier's report.
The Agenda:
To hear the Appeal of Mr
Darius (Bobo) Mentor against the sanctions imposed upon him by the Management
Committee of the Kimberley Golf Club on 11th December 2014 for his
misconduct in the 2014 Castle Lite Barney Barnato. And, if so felt, for the Members in
attendance to recommend an alternative sanction/s.
The Misconduct of Mr Darius Mentor:
Submitting a substituted scorecard that
materially differed from the original and had it been accepted would have
resulted in Mr Mentor receiving first prize on the day, Wednesday 29th
October 2014.
The Sanction imposed by the Management Committee of
the Kimberley Golf Club:
a 20 (twenty) year ban
from playing at the Kimberley Golf Club and from the property of the Kimberley
Golf Club (2014 – 2034).
(See below for motivation)
A Broad Overview:
The evidence presented by
the Marker led the Tournament Committee of the Barney Barnato to disqualify the
result submitted on the day and to raise the allegation of misconduct.
(On a later date Mr Darius Mentor acknowledged in
writing that he had in fact submitted a substitute scorecard.)
The allegation of misconduct
also led to a Disciplinary Enquiry being held on 5th December
2014. The Presiding Officer was
Chairperson Adv. A.D. Olivier and the Club representative was Mr Oban Cronje.
The full report by Adv. Olivier including the evidence led, the answers given, the
conclusion reached and the recommended sanctions are available to the Members
of the Kimberley Golf Club via a link to the BUGLE. This report is also
available, on request only, from the Manager’s Office.
Although the
following information is available from the aforementioned report, to assist
the Members attending the Special General Meeting in their considerations, it might
be pertinent to underline herewith the sanctions called for by Mr. Oban Cronje:
1. A
lifelong ban of Mr Mentor from the Tournament (Barney Barnato).
2. A
2-year suspension of Mr Mentor’s membership with the Club;
3. A
suspension of Mr Mentor from competitions at the Club once he has served the suspension of his Club
membership.
Equally important are the
sanctions recommended by Adv. Olivier:
1. That
Mr Mentor be banned from playing in the Barney Barnato Tournament for the next 20 years.
2. That
Mr Mentor’s membership of the Kimberley Golf Club be suspended
for
a period of 18 months.
3. That
after the expiry of the above period of 18 months and upon Mr Mentor’s return to the Club as a
member, Mr Mentor be banned from
playing
in any tournaments or competitions held by the Club, for a twelve month period.
The motivation for the
Management Committee of the Kimberley Golf Club to impose the sanctions it did:
1 A
precedent was set in the 2011 Barney Barnato. For a lesser incident of misconduct the player, not a Member of the KGC, was banned for
life from the property of the
Kimberley Golf Club.
2 By substituting a full
scorecard this incident is the most serious breach of the “Rules” and breach of “Integrity” to have been
investigated at the Kimberley Golf
Club in recent history.
3 To add insult to injury
Mr Mentor was, on the day, a guest of the Main Sponsor, Castle Lite.
4 Mr Mentor by his actions
undermined the integrity of the Barney Barnato, a tournament 25 years in the making. This can adversely affect
sponsorship, tournament entry,
Club revenue and the very success of the event.
5 Mr Mentor by his actions
undermined the integrity of the Kimberley Golf Club. This, too, can affect sponsorship, competition entry,
membership and the revenue of the Club.
6 The direct legal costs
incurred by the Club as a result of Mr Mentor’s actions are, to date, R8 775.
7 The direct man hours
required of the Management Committee and the Staff as a result of Mr Mentor’s actions are considerable.
8 Members of the Club and
participants in the Barney Barnato expect to see
that their interests are
protected and that reasonable justice is done.
9 Triviality of the matter
is not an option.
10 Mr Mentor’s remorse seems
more for the privileges that he may have lost and less for the damage / cost that he may have caused the
Club.
11 Mr Mentor, in mitigation, mentioned that his poor conduct
should be set aside as the
necessity for “integrity” was not underlined when he joined the Club. If the necessity for integrity is required
to be explained to a perspective Member
then that perspective Member has no place in the world of golf and less at the Kimberley Golf Club.
12 Golf in the RSA is
governed by the Rules of the R & A Ltd., they apply uniformly to all countries who fall under that body, no
exceptions, no special privileges
for us in the RSA. Integrity (the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles) is the
lifeblood of the sport, “the game relies on
the integrity of the individual to show consideration for other players and to abide by the Rules.” This, too, must apply uniformly, there are no
exceptions, we in the RSA are required
to step up to the tee.
