Sascoc board outgunned at SGM
● Barry Hendricks was swept back into the top spot at the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) yesterday with a landslide vote.
It was potentially more a vote against the board than for Hendricks, though that question will be settled at the organisation’s elections on November 7.
The sports bodies that make up Sascoc agreed to the date to stage the overdue ballot that was delayed from March because of the Covid-19 pandemic, sources in the meeting told the Sunday Times.
They spent 90 minutes debating the issue of Hendricks, who had been suspended as acting president since mid-April, after which 47 federations voted to drop the disciplinary action against him and reinstate him. Ten opposed the motion and five abstained.
It was a blow to the board which faced the Sascoc general assembly for the first time since placing Hendricks on mandatory leave and making various decisions that angered many federations.
The executive had batted off a call for a vote of no confidence and dismissed a declaration of a dispute.
Even after Hendricks was exonerated in July — an arbitrator found no evidence to substantiate the allegation that he and Tennis SA (TSA) president Gavin Crookes had
Forty-seven federations voted to drop action against Hendricks
conspired to block the nomination of TSA board member Ntambi Ravele — the board kept him under suspension.
New charges were added.
The executive, driven by five people who are standing in the election, have hidden behind the independence of its controversial judicial body.
They claimed to be following the advice of the legal eagles, though most of them weren’t appointed until August.
After yesterday those five board members — Aleck Skhosana of athletics, who had taken over the acting presidency from Hendricks, Cecilia Molokwane (netball), Kobus Marais (disabled sport), Kaya Majeke (bodybuilding) and Jerry Segwaba (rugby) — must surely know they will have to hit the campaign trail hard in the next seven weeks.
Delegates yesterday also agreed to allow newcomers to stand, a move that could see fresh faces being thrust to the fore.
Not the time to start singing Kumbaya
Lockdown got many federations talking to each other, advising each other on how to draw up their resumption plans and throwing around ideas on fundraising.
Through that process golf won widespread respect; a nominee from that quarter could stand a good chance.
There’s a unity between federations that hasn’t been seen before, but this isn’t the time to start singing Kumbaya — the finish line is far away.
There’s the question of sport minister Nathi Mthethwa’s relationship with Hendricks after criticising him in a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in April.
Cash-strapped Sascoc will need Mthethwa to bat for them if they want to one day receive improved payouts from the Lotto again. Money has been in such short supply that the funding programme for Olympic and Paralympic stars dried up this year.
Getting that flowing again is priority No 1.