Cape Town, South Africa
MASHISHI STATEMENT ‘ARROGANT’: ANC CAUCUS
South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) president Moss Mashishi’s statement on accountability to Parliament is ”reckless” and ”arrogant”, according to the African National Congress.
”The ANC parliamentary caucus has noted the decision by [Mashishi] that his organisation will cease accounting to Parliament until the chairperson of the sport portfolio committee [Butana Komphela] is replaced,” the party said on Tuesday.
”Caucus regards the statement, published widely in the media, as reckless and in contempt of the Constitution, which all responsible citizens are enjoined to uphold and respect.
”We find it unfortunate that a person of Mashishi’s stature can make statements that sought to reflect an open disrespect for the institution and disdain to its standing.”
The ANC said the Constitution affords the National Assembly powers to ”summon any person or institution to report to it” and ”compel(s), in terms of national legislation or the rules and orders, any person or institution to comply with summons or requirements”.
Mashishi’s statements further exhibited arrogance in that he sought to dictate who the ANC should deploy to Parliament and how the institution should be run as a condition for his organisation’s cooperation.
”Such conduct is unbecoming of a person leading such an important organisation in our society. We therefore strongly condemn his behaviour,” the statement said.
Also on Tuesday, Athletics South Africa (ASA) distanced itself from Sascoc’s statement.
”We believe that the decision to boycott the parliamentary portfolio committee for sport and recreation … amounts to a decision to boycott our own government,” ASA said. ”We think that the decision to boycott the portfolio committee is unfortunate, and was taken without adherence to procedure and with undesirable haste.”
On Monday, the Democratic Alliance (DA) called on National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete to investigate what it called ”unacceptable conduct” on Komphela’s part.
”His racist remarks have not only brought embarrassment to sports in South Africa, but they have also denigrated the integrity of Parliament,” DA spokesperson Donald Lee said.
The DA wrote to Mbete after Sascoc’s decision to boycott the portfolio committee on account of Komphela’s behaviour.
”Sascoc’s decision reflects on the whole the sports community’s displeasure with the racially divisive leadership of Butana Komphela,” Lee said. — Sapa