Sports minister passes the buck on report

MINISTER of Sports and Recreation Tokozile Xasa has called on the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) to act on the recommendations of the 2015 Pullinger report, before the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The ministry appeared before Parliament’s portfolio committee on sport and recreation. It briefed the committee on the report of the ministerial committee appointed to investigate irregularities or malpractice in the governance and management of Sascoc.

The ministry’s director-general, Alec Moemi, said: “The number of letters that have been written to Sascoc failed to achieve the desired result of them considering the report of Pullinger. The minister of sports wanted to know why there was reluctance in the adoption and consideration of the report.

“The committee of inquiry looked into the matter and found that Sascoc needed to have considered the report and pronounced itself – it cannot simply serve as a post office. The minister cannot therefore finish Sascoc processes. If she wants to intervene, she must initiate her own processes,” said Moemi.

The Pullinger report, which came out in mid-2015, was led by advocate Alex Pullinger in 2013.

Pullinger found that there had been intimidation of minors‚ manipulation of scores in competitions‚ discrimination‚ inappropriate awarding of national colours‚ a corrupt relationship between SA Sports and Fitness Federation office bearers and maladministration of funds, of which the senior national officials were aware.

Moemi said Sascoc ordered the investigation and should thus act on it. He told Parliament that the report did not please the management at Sascoc, and thus instead of adopting and implementing it, Sascoc had sent it to the minister. |