Renowned sportswriter Mark Keohane has resigned from his position as spokesperson for the South African Olympic team and stepped down as director of Highbury Safika Media (HSM) following sexual harassment and drug abuse claims.

The sudden move came on Friday after Rapport and City Press brought to light several claims which were laid against him for the sexual harassment of female colleagues and frequent cocaine abuse.

Several of Keohane’s former employees say that he sexually harassed them and claimed that he used prostitutes and suffered from a “sad, gross cocaine addiction”.

This is not the first time such allegations have been laid against him, over the past two years several former employees have approached the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) claiming unfair dismissals amidst other accusations.

Amongst the claims made against him were:

• During the start of the Super 14 series in 2010 he made inappropriate advances on a female colleague in a stadium box, also trying to kiss her. Afterwards Keohane said he merely asked her out.
• In 2009 Keohane wrote-off his car following an alleged two day long cocaine binge.
• After the incident he attempted to change his lifestyle but was using cocaine again only two months later.
• It was alleged that Keohane and several other sportswriters used large amounts of cocaine immediately before the annual 2009 SAB Sports Awards. After the event they hired three prostitutes.

Mr Keohane could not be reached for comment at the time of publishing.

[Source: News24, Rapport, City Press]