Durban — The career of Springbok Elton Jantjies is surely in tatters after the news that he is to be sent home from the Springbok camp in Buenos Aries after a Sunday newspaper broke a story that he is having an extra-marital affair with the team’s dietician.
Jantjies and dietician Zeenat Simjee have been with the Boks in Argentina where the team is preparing to play the Pumas on Saturday, but SA Rugby put out a statement on Sunday saying the pair are on their way home.
SA Rugby was reacting to an article in Rapport that exposed the two for sharing a room at guest houses in Nelspruit a few weeks ago.
“The Springbok management are aware of reports regarding Springbok flyhalf Elton Jantjies and team dietician Zeenat Simjee between the training camp in Sabie and the Test match against New Zealand in Mbombela earlier this year,” SA Rugby said in a statement said.
“No team protocols were breached, but the individuals are returning to South Africa to attend to these personal reports and to eliminate any distractions to the team’s preparations for the Test against Argentina.”
Earlier this year, the 32-year-old Jantjies was in hot water after causing an incident on a flight. He was alleged to have harassed a flight attendant and was charged with malicious damage to property.
Even though Jantjies was able to avoid punishment in court, he is now again making headlines for all the wrong reasons when people saw him in two separate guest homes and with a female friend who is not his wife.
Rapport cited individuals who said that Jantjies and his companion’s passionate moments made visitors feel “uncomfortable,” and that complaints were made to the guest house administration when disturbances from Jantjies’ room kept guests up until the early hours.
Additionally, it is claimed that Jantjies checked into another guest home and racked up a debt of R26 000, of which he allegedly paid just R5000, before leaving without paying his account of R4000.
According to reports, the funds were used to purchase champagne, flowers, spa services, and candlelight meals.
Three children were born to Jantjies and Iva Ristic, who were longtime lovers.