Distrust, deceit: Sascoc’s murky world
While South African athletes have carried the flag at international level across a variety of codes in recent years, the local sports environment has been clouded by a storm of controversy, conflict and corruption which has grown increasingly concerning.
Multiple federations have been pinpointed, with rugby, cricket, football and athletics all making headlines for the wrong reasons in recent years, and numerous administrators have been fingered as central figures operating in the dark dungeons of South African sport.
The trail of allegations, however, can often be traced to the same source, and though its members may be embroiled in issues of their own, the central concern seems to lie with Olympic body Sascoc.
More specifically, allegations of nepotism and bullying are usually traced to a massive rift in the organisation, which is on the verge of ripping the umbrella body into two irreconcilable factions.
The long-running power battle between Sascoc president Gideon Sam and chief executive Tubby Reddy is about to erupt, and with both individuals being scrutinised, it seems certain that at least one of their heads is about to roll.
Reddy has gone underground since he was suspended last year on allegations of sexual harassment, and it was revealed this week he was no longer being represented by his former legal team.
While rumours trickled through the grapevine that a disciplinary panel had recommended the dismissal of Reddy and two other staff members, however, the Sascoc executive would not confirm whether it had received official feedback.
Wesley Bo on
With Reddy fighting for his job, after denying the claims made against him, Sam is gearing up for a battle of his own as sports minister Thulas Nxesi prepares to launch an inquiry into allegations levelled at the Sascoc board.
None of the allegations are new, but for all the finger-pointing and tongue-wagging in recent years, Sascoc remains unscathed.
Former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela opened an investigation into the Olympic body a few years back, after similar claims of maladministration were made, but the probe faded and the file was eventually closed due to resource constraints.
A vocal anti-Sascoc blogger claimed to have gathered heaps of evidence against federations and administrators, but despite his outlandish claims of death threats and overnight escapes, the self-proclaimed saviour of SA sport has made no real impact and the allegations he has unveiled have fizzled out.
Those of us who have made legitimate attempts to unveil corruption have been met by paper trails with dead ends, officials who lose their tongues when it suits them, and administrators who make bizarre attempts to discredit their peers.
For all the claims made against Sascoc in recent years, chasing the rumours on the grapevine has become increasingly frustrating, and though Reddy might not stick around long enough to make his case with Nxesi, the ministerial inquiry could finally get to the bottom of a murky pool which has become saturated with distrust and deceit.
Whether the claims against Sascoc are true or false, the organisation’s crumbling public image has left it scrambling for financial support, and member federations are facing struggles of their own in the wake of the subsequent ripple effect.
In need of a shake-up, South African sport will continue to stumble until the cloud of allegations are put to rest, and it all starts with Sascoc.
While his initial threat to dissolve the board could have a crippling result, the inquiry opened by Nxesi is a crucial step forward, and if he can get to the bottom of the problem it might just give the local sports industry the breath of fresh air it needs to progress.