 |
|
|
|
Provincial boss backs prevention of elections
The president of one of Athletics South Africa's (ASA) 17 provincial members has stood up in support of a decision not to hold elections for a new executive until the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) has completed disciplinary hearings against suspended figures.
“The Sascoc administrators tried to force a proposal on us at the council meeting last weekend,” the official said.
“This is a democracy, and if people don't agree, then they don't agree.”
Another senior official - neither would be named - said earlier on Wednesday that certain affiliates were preventing Sascoc from handing control of the federation back to ASA.
Sascoc have been in charge of the athletics body since November last year when the entire board and three members of staff were suspended for financial mismanagement and their handling of world 800m champion Caster Semenya.
A proposal to hold elections for seven vacant board posts was rejected by Limpopo, Griqualand West, Transkei and KwaZulu-Natal at the council meeting, and Sascoc's intentions of stepping back by the end of September, according to the official, had been blocked.
"Even when it was pointed out ASA could be suspended by the International Association of Athletics Federations if there were no elections, and it could be in the breach of the Companies Act, they would not budge," he said.
But another boss of a provincial affiliate said members would not vote for board elections until Sascoc had completed their internal investigation and disciplinary hearings against three suspended board members and two staffers who had not resigned. “The problems we face at the federation at the moment have been caused by Sascoc,” the official said.
“They've been telling us since March that the suspended people will be charged, but nothing has happened yet.
“We still haven't seen any financial reports or any reports on what happened to Caster Semenya.
“We want the sport to move forward, but we want it to happen the right way.
“Sascoc messed up, and they must fix these problems before we
take back control of the sport.”
