South African rugby journalist Vata Ngobeni was detained during the early hours of Monday morning when Taupo police removed him from a local pub suspecting he was a drug dealer.

Sport24

Ngobeni, an employee of Pretoria News and rugby analyst for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), was the only black person in the pub at the time, said a Sapa journalist travelling with him.

Ngobeni was taken to a police station and searched. He had to remove items of clothing.

“I have never been so embarrassed in my life,” said Ngobeni who was released shortly after he was searched.

“I have never experienced this kind of treatment in all my travels around the world, so to be singled out as a common criminal in front of so many people is something I will never forget.”

When police approached him, Ngobeni tried to explain that he was a journalist on tour covering the Springboks – in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup – for television, radio and his newspaper.

An officer responded by saying that Ngobeni fitted the profile of a drug dealer. They had to conduct a search at a local police station.

Police officers on the scene said they were following what they called standard procedure.

Taupo residents who witnessed the scene expressed sympathy for Ngobeni.

“…There are some idiots in the pig factory (police station) in this town,” said an elderly man.

Another commented “you will find that the police pick up all the … old cars with black drivers.”

Ngobeni later received an apology from police, but said: “I won’t be visiting Taupo again, that is for sure.”

Ngobeni said he had never before seen the inside of a police station – never mind being asked to get into a police vehicle in front of a crowd of people.

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Here’s what I think about this….

I sit next or near to Vata Ngobeni regularly at Loftus or at any of the Rugby venues, in the Press Box.

He is a humble guy, no unneeded airs or graces, one of the good guys all round.

I have had the opportunity to socialise with Vata and talk rugby, and a nicer guy is difficult to find. I cannot believe he was singled out, it is a travesty.

What makes this even more interesting is the fact that Pretoria News did not want to fork out the money to send Vata to the Rugby World Cup, yet Vata was determined to go, and saved for months, possibly years, to go to New Zealand, to report on Rugby World Cup 2011.

Vata and another reporter in the same boat, Michael Mentz, are somewhat slumming it in New Zealand, on a very tight budget, staying in a camper van or tent of some sorts, yet attending every practice, every press conference and every game.

This man is a serious rugby supporter, like you and me… maybe more so!

TRAVESTY!