Thabo Mohlala The National Intelligence Services and the South African national gliding team are involved in a row after the NIS cancelled a booking made by the team ahead of the world championships in Mafikeng in December. Team manager Quintin Maine says this threw their plans into disarray. He says as the host nation and given the number of international teams that are attending they made sure they secured a suitable venue on time. They booked Legae Lodge, a Mafikeng conference facility, in early April. The lodge is the property of the NIS. Maine says the booking was done early so that they could assemble the team before the official start of the games on December 18. At the 11th hour the NIS notified them that the venue would no longer be available. Maine says the NIS”told us bluntly that the booking has been cancelled” and that no amount of correspondence would change the situation. Asked for comment, the manager of Legae Lodge, Bertha Tlhoaele, put the phone down. NIS Director General Vusi Mavimbela said the”booking was cancelled at short notice because of immediate security needs of the intelligence services and the Minister for Intelligence Services”. He said the team was notified in October but wished them well for the championship.