Sascoc saga deepens
Boardroom battles in federations push organisation to brink
● National federations that make up the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) will have to move quickly to quell the boardroom battles that erupted within the umbrella body this week.
That is the view of sports bosses who spoke to the Sunday Times.
The Sascoc executive voted on Wednesday to suspend Barry Hendricks as acting president pending an arbitration following a claim he had acted in an unethical manner.
Before the board members had finished the teleconference meeting, Hendricks was sending emails claiming, among other things, the board was improperly constituted and calling for it to be dissolved.
He sent off more on Friday afternoon, accusing the board of being dishonest with him and its members about how his suspension had unfolded. Hendricks also rejected his suspension and called for acting CEO Ravi Govender to be suspended.
“It’s a mess,” said one senior sports administrator, a view that many others shared.
They are mystified at how Sascoc, which seemed to be lifting its game after a ministerial inquiry uncovered governance failings, quickly descended into new controversies.
They had made the constitutional changes that would have allowed an early election to proceed on March 28, as demanded by sports minister Nathi Mthethwa.
For him a new board would signify a new Sascoc worthy of government support, crucially financially. Sascoc has been creaking under cash constraints and that in turn is hurting Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
But in February Tennis SA (TSA) board member Ntambi Ravele accused president Gavin Crookes, and Hendricks, of blocking her nomination for the Sascoc presidency.
They had had a conversation in which Hendricks had said the two possible TSA candidates, Ravele and Riad Davids, didn’t have a chance.
Crookes reflected this in an email to TSA board members when asking them if they wanted to endorse Ravele.
They voted not to support Ravele, but they did give Davids the thumbs up to stand for ordinary Sascoc board member.
Ravele complained to the minister, who referred the matter to Sascoc, which asked for a legal opinion.
Advocate Elizabeth Baloyi-Mere was critical of Crookes and Hendricks, and found Ravele had a case to take to arbitration.
Not everyone agrees with the advocate. For example, some feel Crookes was merely being honest with his board when informing them of his conversation with Hendricks.
They say if Crookes wanted to block Ravele, why did he disclose it? On the same basis, why did the TSA board back Davids?
TSA is looking into the matter separately. The advocate’s opinion isn’t bolstered by the fact that she seemingly refers to a version of the National Sport and Recreation Act that was in effect before Sascoc was created in 2004.
Several officials who spoke to the Sunday Times on condition of anonymity — including some who don’t support Hendricks — feel the Ravele issue has been blown out of proportion and is being used as a political weapon. Another curious element, they say, is why Mthethwa wrote to the International Olympic Committee asking them to intervene.
“Was that a vote of no-confidence in Sascoc? Why did he suggest a link between Hendricks and another issue where some candidates were disqualified from standing?” asked one official.
Govender said Sascoc was engaging the minister on that letter.
Sports bosses agree the election, delayed initially by lockdown, needs to happen soon, though the appeal process by disqualified candidates is continuing.
The SA Gymnastics Federation has suggested all disqualified candidates be allowed to stand. If that can expedite a ballot to end this madness, maybe it’s a good idea.
The SA Gymnastics Federation has suggested all disqualified candidates be allowed to stand