Publications
Partners
Sports Minister Tokozile Xasa has given the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) until April next year to implement key recommendations of the ministerial inquiry report into issues of governance at the embattled federation.
Should the micro sport body fail to comply or meet the set deadline, warned the minister, it risked forfeiting grants from the government in future as well as other privileges..
“Our legislation is clear that those bodies we give public money to, have to adhere to the provisions,” said Xasa shortly after she made public the eagerly anticipated ministerial inquiry report into Sascoc affairs in Pretoria on Friday.
“They [Sascoc] have no space to run away… or else we don’t give them money.
“In terms of the legislation, the minister can issue directives should they [Sascoc] not fulfil their obligations. So at any stage when we have to issue directives, we are cognisant of the provisions.”
Expectations were that Xasa would call for the removal of the Sascoc leadership after damning evidence against some of the board members emerged during the hearings early this year that there were malpractices and mismanagement of funds at the micro sport body.
The minister disapproved some of Sascoc’s representations, including the federation opposing “any external or independent oversight of their roles, functions and the use of public money”.
She also accused Sascoc of changing “the constitution in the midst of the inquiry to protect themselves”.
Said Xasa: “It’s naturally that anybody who is found to be on the wrong side to unleash defence.
“When we started with the ministerial inquiry Sascoc wrote to their international bodies thinking they would save them; thinking they would say we are interfering. But those bodies came back and said ‘in fact, we want proper governance’.”
This is in reference to International Olympic Committee, International Paralympics Committee and the Commonwealth Games Federations, of which Sascoc is an affiliate member.
Some of the Sascoc board members attended the briefing at Tshedimosetso House, including the beleaguered Sascoc president Gideon Sam.
Sam, however, refused to comment, citing the upcoming Sascoc annual general meeting on Saturday as the right platform to react on the ministerial inquiry report, which labelled his leadership style as “dictatorial”.
Sam and his board are also accused of contravening their own constitution, as well as being caught in many instances of conflict interest, that including holding positions outside Sascoc.
While some would deem the outcome as a slap on the wrist for Sascoc, Xasa maintained that she would see the process through even though she has limitations such as direct interference into the affairs of Sascoc.
“Come mid-January I am going to have a person who is going to oversee the actual implementation. We are looking into an action plan and I have to receive reports monthly,” she warned.
“We are of the view that our sport as a country subscribes to the Olympic charter. In some of what we are suggesting and what they suggested, we had to find middle ground.
“We have legislation that governs their activities. We took into account that we also participate in the international platform.”
Xasa said the government could have easily gone the forensic investigative route but “we want the sport to continue”.
“We want Sascoc to take responsibility because in any case, it a natural thing that if you put a structure under forensic, who of the funders can come and give them money?
“As far as we are concerned, it’s not running away from forensic but it would have assisted if we did not know what was happening. This audit process would have taken five years backwards,” argued Xasa.
“We can’t keep on having inquiries. We want an organization that is properly run that is giving our young people the opportunity to participate. Without that then it means it’s chaos.”
Xasa said she expected Sascoc to table the report at its general meeting on Saturday.
“From tomorrow [Saturday] we want to hear what they are going to do with the report,” she said.
