Chaos erupted after the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) named an interim Athletics South Africa (ASA) board on Saturday.
Members of Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) who were not allowed in the meeting, said the provincial association had no mandate to nominate James Moloi on to the interim board.
Mems Moosa, secretary of CGA’s non-established clubs, also said he felt the interim board included too many supporters of suspended ASA boss Leonard Chuene.
”We will give a vote of no confidence against this board,” Moosa said.
”This is an interim measure but democracy will have the last say. Athletes from the grass level will speak.”
CGA president Snowy Matthews stepped down before the association could give her an expected vote of no confidence, but a special general meeting on Thursday was disrupted by ”Chuene supporters”, according to Moosa, before a new president could be elected.
George Lamb, the vice-president of CGA’s established clubs, took control of the top post and attended Saturday’s meeting with Moloi, while Stan Itsegetseng, vice-president of the non-established clubs, was forced to wait outside.
CGA is separated in two divisions — established and non-established (development) clubs — with a CGA vice-president serving each division.
Moosa said, according to the CGA constitution, Itsegetseng should be president of the association because he is a person of colour, while Lamb insisted he automatically qualified for the post.
”As the vice-president I automatically become president,” said Lamb.
”In any constitution when the president steps down, the vice-president automatically takes over until a new board is voted in, which we will do at the end of February or beginning of March.”
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) members also complained the figures representing their province had no mandate.
But Sascoc board member Ray Mali, who took over the ASA administration on Monday, said he had promised to deal with any issues within the federation, and intended to do just that.
”Up to this point we have not received any objections from those particular provinces (CGA and KZN),” Mali said, ”but if there are any issues we will attend to them.”
Interim board member and former sprinter Geraldine Pillay said the member associations were welcome to pass votes of no confidence
within their provinces, adding that six more board members could be added to the nine elected on Saturday.
Pillay, who with marathon runner Hendrick Ramaala and former sprinter Arnaud Malherbe managed to settle the chaos caused by provincial representatives outside after the meeting adjourned, said she was not entirely happy with the make-up of the interim board, but hoped the state of the sport would improve following a restructuring of the federation.
Elite South African athletes said on Friday they wanted 50% representation on the board. Four of the nine elected are current or former athletes.
”I would have liked more former athletes on the board, but if this group works hard we can restore the image of athletics in South Africa,” Pillay said.
The suspended ASA board face disciplinary hearings for their handling of the Caster Semenya gender fiasco, while Mali will work with the interim board in mending the problems facing the embattled federation which is reportedly in financial crisis.
Mali said the federation would not, however, face a funding crisis after suffering some major sponsorship setbacks. Road-running sponsor Nedbank withdrew from a five-year deal a year early last month and track and field sponsor Yellow Pages has not yet renewed its contract with the federation which expired earlier this year.
”The sponsors that have been part of the South African athletics setup have assured me they are on board with us,” Mali said.
”It’s now just a matter of sitting down with them and working together. We are looking forward to a great season of South African athletics.”
Mali said he would meet with the interim board — Pillay, Ramaala, Moloi, James Mokoka, James Evans, Daan Louw, Pieter Lourens, Blanche Moila and Alex Skhosana — on November 27 and 28.
”It’s hard to know how long it will take to sort out the
problems with athletics,” Mali said, ”but after today’s meeting I’m very upbeat and don’t anticipate any undue hassles.” – Sapa