South Africa’s Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula on Monday announced his decision to revoke the privileges of four major sporting federations – Athletics South Africa (ASA), Cricket South Africa (CSA), Netball South Africa (NSA) and South African Rugby (SARU) – to host or bid to stage any major international events in the country due to their failure to meet their transformation targets.
Mbalula was speaking at the receiving of the results of the third Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on Transformation in Sport Report for 2014/2015.
“I have therefore resolved to revoke the privilege of Athletics South Africa (ASA), Cricket South Africa (CSA), Netball South Africa (NSA) and South African Rugby (SARU) to host and bid for major and mega international tournaments in the Republic of South Africa as a consequence of the aforementioned federation, not meeting their own set transformation targets with immediate effect,” Mbalula said.
“I will review this decision when considering the results of the 2016/2017 Transformation Barometer.”
The EPG had scrutinised a total of 19 sport federations, of which the “Big Five” of rugby, football, cricket, netball and athletics had provided data to the EPG Secretariat. The secretariat had analysed data and drafted its findings and recommendations for the minister. The findings and recommendations were announced in May last year.
“Thereafter, the five federations, had out of their own volition, signed a Memorandum of Agreements (MoA) with the Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa in 2015,” Mabalula said.
“The MoA is premised on the transformation barometer with clear and concrete transformation targets and goals over the next five years. The MoA further delineates roles and responsibilities of each party to the agreement and stipulates punitive measures to be taken in the event of non-compliance.”
Mbalula said the failure by the respective major sporting federations to meet their own transformation targets had paved the way for him to implement punitive measures which may have included:
— suspending or withdrawing government funding to the said federation due to non-compliance;
— withdrawing government’s recognition of a particular federation as a National Federation and publishing said decision in the Government Gazette;
— revoking the privilege of a federation to host and bid for major and mega international tournaments in the Republic and withdrawing recognition of the said federation;
— withdrawing a federation’s opportunity to be awarded national colours via SASCOC (South African Sports Confederation and Olympic committee) to players who participate under the auspices of that particular federation in order to represent the Republic internationally and nationally;
— terminating the relationship and any co-operation between SRSA and the said federation due to non-compliance; and
— withdrawing political support and endorsements for sponsorships.
“I have applied my mind to the aforementioned reality and have taken into account the strides made by men and women within the sports movement to achieve transformation goals,” Mbalula said. “I recognise and acknowledge the political will and tremendous efforts made by federations and sport bodies in the implementation of National Sport and Recreation Plan and its attendant Transformation Charter.
“It is not my intention to disrupt the momentum gained from the implementation of the Transformation Barometer and the global competitive edge of some federations and sports bodies,” he said. “however, I am mindful of the urgent task for federations to move with speed in the direction of providing quality of opportunities and access to the youth of our country.
“I have therefore resolved to revoke the privilege of Athletics South Africa (ASA), Cricket South Africa (CSA), Netball South Africa (NSA) and South African Rugby (SARU) to host and bid for major and mega international tournaments in the Republic of South Africa as a consequence of the aforementioned federation, not meeting their own set transformation targets with immediate effect. I will review this decision when considering the results of the 2016/2017 Transformation Barometer.”
The minister said he was applying the measures due to the urgent task for the sport sector to “reconstruct the fragmented and deeply discriminatory sport and recreation landscape by establishing a unified sports system that is underpinned by the principles of democracy, equity, transparency, demographic representation, access and increased participation”.
Citing moral and strategic imperatives, Mbalula said transformation was “the right thing to do” considering the grave injustices of the past, while the reality was that 84 percent of the country’s under 18 year old population was Black African and only 16 percent was white, coloured and indian.
“To ignore this strategic reality from sustainability perspective alone would be suicidal. Thus the reasons for sport organisations to transform rapidly have not only become compelling it had become fundamental.”
Of the five major sporting federations, only the South African Football Association (Safa) had met its transformation targets, however the minister expressed unhappiness with the “poor drive to penetrate and roll out football in former model C schools and private schools”.
The minister further added that he had written to the 14 additional federations “inviting them to present to me their barometer and prepare themselves for signing Memoranda of Agreements with the Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa as a matter of urgency”.
These federations and sport bodies were Basketball, Chess, Table Tennis, Softball, Volleyball, Boxing, Hockey, Gymnastic, Swimming, Baseball, Rowing, Bowls, Jukskei and Tennis.
– African News Agency (ANA)
