Stander bats for KZNA athletes

Athletes and clubs in the coastal province will not be affected, according to Athletics South Africa (ASA), after a murky battle between the national federation and the KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) board landed up in court this week.

While the KZNA executive had been suspended by the sport’s governing body, ASA chief executive Richard Stander said the provincial body’s members would not be influenced by the decision.

“At no stage should any athlete, coach, person or club in that province be disadvantaged,” Stander said.

The KZNA executive approached the South Gauteng High Court with an urgent application on Thursday in an attempt to have the suspension overturned, claiming they had been unlawfully removed.

After opting to postpone the case, however, the KZNA board members were allegedly informed by the judge that they could not appear as a suspended board if they returned to fight the matter in court. They would instead need to file individual applications.

According to Stander, the suspended board members had also been told they needed to cover their own legal costs and could not use KZNA resources.

An independent administrator would be placed in control of the KZNA office and the provincial body would be audited.

Stander said the KZNA executive had repeatedly clashed with ASA in recent years, taking the federation to court for various reasons. There were also concerns about the provincial body’s financial situation.

While the ASA top brass had been accused of digging up old grudges in its suspension of the KZNA board, with KZNA president Sello Mokoena having previously been involved in public tussles with the national federation and its president Aleck Skhosana, Stander insisted ASA was ensuring one of its largest members had its house in order.

“We’ve suspended the board pending an investigation. We’re not on a witch-hunt,” Stander said.

“We need clarity on why the board is acting the way it is.”