ATHLETICS

Athletics SA to probe KZN body

A LONG-simmering feud between Athletics SA and its KwaZulu-Natal (KZNA) affiliate deepened at the weekend with the national body deciding to set up a task team to probe the provincial organisation.

“This followed a collective conclusion by 16 ASA provinces that their 17th sister province was out of tune with the rest of the athletics family‚” ASA said.

“They noted that KZNA needed to conform to the constitution of ASA and to the resolutions of the council.

“The council demanded that the task team‚ in its probe‚ establish whether KZNA wants to continue being part of the athletics family.”

In its statement‚ ASA said the team must also examine media reports emanating from KZNA board members which were “deemed not to be in line with the constitutional protocols of ASA”.

KZNA president Sello Mokoena declined to go into details‚ but said he believed “KZNA has complied with the constitutional requirements of ASA and KZNA”.

KZNA is also taking ASA to the high court “on a matter that the national federation feels it is not party to”.

“ASA has given its lawyers instructions to oppose the matter‚” ASA said in the statement.

“Members again expressed their displeasure that the mother body is being forced to spend huge financial resources to defend the matter‚ which they said could have been directed [towards] athletes and other important things.”

ASA said in its statement that “members berated the conduct of their sister province citing their behaviour‚ in particular‚ of engaging ASA through media forums‚ especially social media”.

Mokoena on Facebook criticised ASA’s selection policy for the world championships in August.

Another issue has been over ASA president Aleck Skhosana‚ a former KZNA president.

The provincial body was hit by allegations of fraud during his tenure‚ and while there has never been a suggestion that Skhosana was involved‚ his critics argue he should be held responsible through fiduciary duty. — DDC