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Puma "fixes" SAFA

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Sport24 columnist Graeme Joffe (File)
Sport24 columnist Graeme Joffe (File)
All credit to Puma for withdrawing their SAFA sponsorship.

The Sunday Times ran the story that the sports apparel company severed ties as they didn’t want to be “associated with the stench of the match fixing allegations” that rocked SAFA in December last year.

Amen!

Just wish SASCOC sponsors would take a leaf out of the Puma kitbag.

What’s amazing is how the Sports Minister and SASCOC have let these SAFA allegations just casually roll on with no serious action.

SAFA members were suspended in a knee jerk reaction soon after FIFA’s 500 page dossier, but the suspensions were soon lifted and all the merry men went back to work. The reason given for the re-instatement was something like due process wasn’t followed.

Since when do we have due process in SA sport?

SASCOC are the kings at suspending federations and athletes without due process.

Two months since the damning FIFA report and nothing has happened except meeting after meeting.

Now we hear SAFA will set up a commission of inquiry in consultation with the SA Sports Commission, SASCOC and the sports ministry.

Have you ever?

SAFA to set up a commission of inquiry into their own?

How the rules change from one sporting code to another. I don’t remember Cricket South Africa (CSA) consulting to set up the Majola inquiry. The Sports minister appointed the Nicholson inquiry and it should be the same for football.   

Needless to say, the SAFA inquiry, if it happens, is two months too late. The horse has already bolted and so too have Puma. 

So, Bafana Bafana will now be using the Chiefs kit for home games and Pirates as the away strip. Most of the current squad have one or the other. Not sure what the quota player Dean Furman is going to do. Can’t remember what Oldham play in (tongue in cheek of course...)

Meanwhile, SASCOC declined more interviews last week on Carte Blanche and 702. 

702 got wind of some leaked emails about SASCOC misuse of funds, but when asked for an interview, CEO Tubby Reddy went running for the hills and president Gideon Sam said they would sort it out “internally”.

Mr Mbalula, you said if people have information on corruption in SA sport, they must come forward.
 
Well, unless, this is a parody twitter account @fikilembalula and you not receiving emails from the Department of Sport and Recreation.

Here goes again. 

It’s rather straight forward Mr Minister - SASCOC is corrupt and needs its own commission of inquiry.
 
And just when you thought CSA was cleaning their house.

A five-man delegation of CSA board members, officials and a hanger on went to India this weekend to meet with the BCCI to mend fences with the Indian board.

Five people, first class to India for the CSA account? Economy and Business class must have been full.

Just think how a cricket club in Alexandra or Ivory Park could have benefitted with some of those wasted expenses.

A good first over for the new CSA president, Chris Nenzani, who was part of the delegation.

Tim Cantle Jones received a letter of commendation from Nelson Mandela in 1995, thanking him for his part in developing post Apartheid sports structures and recognising the role that sport has in building a civil society.

And this is an excerpt from the email I received from him: “It now saddens me to observe that South African sport is again divided and that SASCOC is not providing the transparency and leadership the sporting community urgently needs. I recognise that I am now a distant observer of South African sport but I have spoken to more than enough friends of sport to know that something is wrong. I would urge SASCOC to return to the spirit of 1990 when Nelson Mandela was released from 27 years of captivity, to return to the spirit of 1992 when South Africa  was readmitted to the Olympic movement and the spirit of 1994 when South Africa was reborn as ‘The Rainbow Nation’.

I quote from President Mandela's inauguration speech in May 1994: ‘Our daily deeds as ordinary South Africans must produce an actual South African reality that will reinforce humanity's belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain our hopes for a glorious life for all.‘

SASCOC you have a precious legacy, please do not abuse it.” 
 
I rest my case!

Email Graeme at: graeme@butterbean.co.za

Catch Graeme Joffe on SportsFire every Monday and Thursday at 17:30 on Radio Today, 1485am in JHB, National on DStv audio channel 169 and streaming worldwide on www.1485.org.za. Follow Graeme Joffe on Twitter: @joffersmyboy

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