Sascoc’s Sam ‘ignored report to protect friend’
SASCOC president Gideon Sam ignored a damning report into a member federation to protect a friend‚ the ministerial committee of inquiry into governance issues at Sascoc heard yesterday.
Lawyer David Becker also alleged Sam had earlier tried but failed to derail the investigation into the SA Sports and Fitness Federation (Sasaff)‚ responsible for aerobics sport and hip-hop – which cost Sascoc hundreds of thousands of rands.
Some six years after complaints were first lodged and nearly three years after the report was finalised‚ no action had been taken.
Cape Town-based Becker was representing Dr George van Rensburg‚ the father of Emma‚ a member of Sasaff and her provincial body‚ WPSAFF‚ as well as Lyn Earley‚ a former Sasaff office bearer.
Van Rensburg and Earley lodged complaints against Sasaff president Keith Barends and general secretary Lynette le Roux in 2012‚ and in October that year Sascoc ordered an investigation.
Advocate Alex Pullinger led the inquiry in 2013 and eventually found there had been intimidation of minors‚ manipulation of scores in competition‚ discrimination‚ inappropriate awarding of national colours‚ a corrupt relationship between Sasaff and WP office-bearers and maladministration of funds of which the senior national officials were aware.
The Pullinger report – which came out in mid-2015 after the hearing was abandoned temporarily – recommended that Sasaff be disbanded and that Barends and Le Roux be barred from holding any leadership positions in any Sascoc-affiliated federation in future.
Becker said Sascoc‚ despite ordering the investigation‚ sent the report to the minister of sport and recreation and it had yet to be acted on.
He had received no explanation from Sascoc why it did not deal with the report itself.
“It is the complainants’ submission that the failure to address this Pullinger report is because of Mr Sam’s personal friendship with Barends‚” Becker said.
“[It is] well known that Mr Sam and Barends are good friends.” – TimesLIVE