Olympic 800m silver medallist Hezekial Sepeng was asked to sign a contract which stipulated how often, how fast and against whom he would race in South Africa, writes Julian Drew
ATHLETICS SOUTH AFRICA (ASA), the body with overall responsibility for the sport in the country, tried to rig races for the forthcoming season involving Olympic 800m star Hezekiel Sepeng.
The Mail & Guardian has obtained a copy of a contract which ASA tried to get the silver medalist to sign, giving undertakings that he would not attempt to break the South African record in the 800m event except at meetings sponsored by the oil giant Engen.
The extraordinary document was prepared for the signature of South Africa’s athletics supremo Bernard Rose – the chief executive officer of ASA – as well as Sepeng. Rose has not denied the existence or authenticity of the document.
Sepeng, who was narrowly pipped to the gold medal in one of the most sensational 800m races in the history of the Olympic Games, refused to sign the contract. But one of his main rivals in South African athletics, Marius van Heerden – the then South African 800m record-holder – did sign an identical document.
The contract was presented to Sepeng by ASA in April, three months before the Centennial Olympics. The document states that Sepeng should not race against Van Heerden over 800m except at the Old Mutual SA Track and Field Championships, the three Engen Grand Prix meetings in Pietersburg, Pretoria and Cape Town and the Pepsi All Africa International meeting in Johannesburg.
It also specifies that Sepeng should not attempt to break the South African 800m record except at the three Engen meetings. The agreement specifies various payments for competing in these events and a bonus schedule for specific time-based performances.
Clause 3 of the contract stipulates: “It is agreed by the parties that Hezekiel may race the 800m in other Permit meetings, but that he will not attempt to break the South African record and that he will not race against Marius van Heerden over the 800m distance.
“Should ASA feel that Hezekiel has made an attempt on the 800m record (or he has in fact broken the record), then this agreement will be null and void and Hezekiel will repay to ASA any monies that have been paid to him in terms of this agreement.”
The contract goes on to give an undertaking that ASA will sign similar agreements with Van Heerden and the country’s other Olympic 800m athlete Johan Botha.
A later clause stipulates that the parties to the contract will keep it “strictly private and confidential at all times” and its contents “will not be divulged to any third party for any reason whatsoever”.
It is understood that when Sepeng was invited to meet ASA to discuss the contract, Rose told him that he could not bring any advisers. Sepeng refused to sign anything, however, without first discussing it with his coach “JP” van der Merwe. Botha also refused to sign. But Van Heerden – who was without a manager to advise him at the time – did sign, shortly after he broke the 25- year-old South African 800m record and after warnings that he risked being left out in the cold.
Rose denied the existence of the contract when first questioned about it by the M&G this week. “There is no contract between ASA and any athlete which says he must not break records,” said the ASA chief executive. “Nobody can stop an athlete from breaking records with a contract.”
When he was confronted with a copy of the draft contract, on an ASA letterhead, a clearly flustered Rose said: “A piece of paper that is not signed by Hezekiel Sepeng has nothing to do with anything you are talking about.” He said it was merely a “starting point for negotiations” with Sepeng. Rose said a contract had since been signed with Sepeng which had satisfied all parties.
The director general of the Department of Sport and Recreation, Mthobi Tyamzashe, said this week that the ASA contract amounted to “a serious violation of the principles of fairness in sport”. He said it was “no different to the allegations against Bruce Grobelaar in British soccer and we know how seriously those allegations have been taken”.
He said that “in the next few days” ASA would be given a chance to explain the draft contract. “We will then see what steps need to be taken.” He warned that any attempt to put pressure on the athletes in advance of a government inquiry “will not be tolerated and will only exacerbate the situation”.