Axed Bulls team manager Tim Dlulane says high-performance manager Xander Janse van Rensburg has created a toxic environment at the Pretoria-based union.
In an interview with Sport24, Dlulane said it hurt to be retrenched after 12 years with the Bulls, while suggesting that he had been treated like a ‘dying horse’.
‘I feel the retrenchment process was flawed in that I was included on the list of high-performance employees when I wasn’t one – I was a permanent employee. I raised that concern to the legal representative of the company and she said she would address my concerns with the board, but never got back to me.
‘Another reason I felt the retrenchment process was flawed is because only two consultations were done as a group, and during the final one, I was informed that I was one of the employees selected for retrenchment.
‘I think the fact that I didn’t get along with high-performance manager Xander Janse van Rensburg had a role to play in my axing. I’m still a Blue Bull and can’t be against the brand, but [CEO] Barend [van Graan] and Xander are the two individuals who wanted to get rid of me.’
Dlulane insisted that the arrival of new executive of rugby John Mitchell played no part in his axing, but said it was Janse van Rensburg who wanted to get rid of him.
‘He [Janse van Rensburg] played a major role in terms of what went wrong at the Bulls over the last few seasons and has created a toxic environment. I believe he was the person that put my name forward for retrenchment. Barend has had to back him because he is the head of the department.
‘I’m not the only one who has raised concerns about Xander’s suitability. I don’t feel he is qualified for what he is doing at the Bulls. Almost everyone at the Bulls question Xander and you have to ask why Barend cannot see that he is being fooled by him.’
Photo: Johan Rynners/Gallo Images
