Sascoc arbitrator expected to make a call

THE protracted arbitration process to decide the dispute between two candidates for the Sascoc presidency, Ntambi Ravele and Barry Hendricks, will continue today.

Last Wednesday the arbitrator advocate Alec Freund called on the two camps to submit fresh submissions before he hands down his award.

This is somewhat surprising because it was expected that Freund had enough information at his disposal to make a call, but it was not the case.

However, depending on what new facts are presented tomorrow the arbitration process could be scrapped in favour of a new process.

“Sascoc’s erstwhile attorneys conceded in a letter to the arbitrator, advocate Freund, that despite them having been instructed by the (Sascoc) board to remain neutral, they had entered the merits of the dispute, and this action on their part is viewed to have tainted the proceedings and prejudiced the parties in the dispute,” Sascoc said in a statement.

“The submissions made by Sascoc sought to request that the arbitration proceedings to be abandoned and a new arbitration process commence, before another arbitrator, for the dispute to be determined afresh.

“Ms Ravele’s attorneys confirmed to the arbitrator that they support the request by Sascoc, but Mr Hendricks continues to contend that the arbitrator has not conducted himself in an unfair manner and that he should hand down his award.”

Sascoc acting chief executive Ravi Govender said it is not known what the parties have now presented to the arbitrator and it may well be that he could agree to a new process.

“The arbitrator may concede that the overall process was compromised, and it would be better to start afresh,” Govender said.

Govender said Sascoc had already submitted their documents on Friday and he expected Ravele’s camp to do the same yesterday.

As a result, it is expected that the arbitrator will make a call today, which is anyone’s guess at this stage.

Govender said that Sascoc’s position is that the process must embrace integrity, impartiality, fairness, openness and justice must prevail.