A showdown appears to be looming between Parliament’s sport and recreation committee, led by outspoken chairperson Butana Komphela, and the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc), led by Moss Mashishi.
The furore erupted when Mashishi announced Sascoc would boycott the committee on account of Komphela’s behaviour.
Sascoc confirmed in a terse statement on Tuesday it had received a letter from the committee requesting a meeting. ”Sascoc have stated that they will respond to the portfolio committee accordingly, and in writing,” it said.
Also on Tuesday, Sport and Recreation Minister Makhenkesi Stofile indicated he had no intention of interfering in the dispute between Sascoc and the committee.
The ministry has been ”requested by various media houses” to intervene on the matter, but South Africa is a constitutional state with a make-up of Parliament and the executive, Stofile’s office said.
The committee is one of Parliament, and answerable to the speaker of Parliament. ”We, as the department have no due restriction on it. We have no responsibility, nor do we have an oversight over it. On the contrary, the committee has an oversight responsibility over the department, as mandated by Parliament.
”Sascoc is a non-governmental organisation, and as such, we as a governmental department cannot censure statements they make in the media,” the ministry said.
However, the ANC’s parliamentary caucus positioned itself squarely behind Komphela, accusing Mashishi of ”reckless” and ”arrogant” behaviour.
”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 is replaced,” the party said.
”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”.
It said 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,” an ANC 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