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Sad day for SA sport

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Sport24 columnist Graeme Joffe (File)
Sport24 columnist Graeme Joffe (File)
The SASCOC AGM at the weekend was a sad day for South African sport and a “X” for fair and free elections.

Gideon Sam was re-elected president unopposed despite saying he would fall on his sword if we didn’t get 12 medals in London. When last I looked, we still had six...
 
But what was even more disturbing was the electoral procedure, nominations and some of the other re-elected SASCOC members.

Can anyone at SASCOC please explain to me how you can have three nominees from Athletics but not one of them was nominated by Athletics South Africa?

With athletics being the biggest of the Olympic sports, you would think that it would be pertinent to have either the president or vice-president of Athletics South Africa on the SASCOC board.

But no, somehow the nominees for athletics were:

1. Ms Keikabile Motlatsi, president of one of the Athletics SA regional structures
2. Mr Goliath Munro, linked to the sport via schools
3. Prof Tim Noakes, who holds no administrative positions within athletics
 
Motlatsi was elected to the SASCOC board. Just wonder how many of the voters actually knew who she was!

So, if this is happening with the nominations, one can only imagine what happens with the voting and sadly, only two people are a witness to it. The auditor and the globetrotter himself, SASCOC CEO, Tubby Reddy.

And as I write this, Mr Reddy is on his way to Amsterdam and then to Rio (business class of course, hopefully with a “comfy Erke” tracksuit). It just doesn’t stop but yet he will be reappointed as CEO as he has managed to get all his cronies onto the SASCOC board.

Gravy train loyalty!

However, I did notice that his good friend, Jace Naidoo (president of Swimming South Africa) withdrew his nomination before the election.

But don’t you worry, SASCOC can co-opt members onto the board and who do you think will be first in line?

Mr Reddy, do you really think the sporting public is that stupid?  

The whole process is so flawed and not transparent at all.

At the very least, there should be a list showing to which federation the nominee is affiliated and by which member the nominee was nominated.

Ms Hajera “many jobs” Kajee and Les Williams were re-elected to their positions as SASCOC vice-presidents.

Perhaps, someone at SASCOC can explain how Ms Kajee can be a full-time member of government (working for the Department of Gauteng Roads and Transport), be the chair of the National Lotto Distribution Agency and be vice-president of the South African Table Tennis Board and SASCOC?

No surprise, she supposedly got the most votes in the election, as she now holds the Lotto purse strings. But maybe she’ll excuse herself when the sporting federations make their Lotto grant requests.

Yes of course!

Remember, Mr Sam “did it” when he was on the Lotto Distribution Board and cycling’s previous Lotto request was tabled by Accelerate, a sports marketing company, which Mr Sam just happens to be a director of. 

Cycling SA are still paying goodwill to Accelerate.
 
It’s obviously not a conflict of interests for Mr Sam!
 
And do you think Ms Kajee put in for government leave for all her SASCOC and Olympic travels over the last four years?

It’s a real gravy train road, if you’ll excuse the pun and perhaps only a matter of time before you have “Hajera Kajee” street in the capital.

The same gravy goes with Kobus Marais, who has now been “elected” to the Board. Yes, the same Mr Marais who is the shadow minister of Finance and member of parliament with the DA, who travelled extensively over the last four years on “SASCOC business” and is the self proclaimed “engine” behind Powerboat SA, who have now been suspended by SASCOC for over a year.

All I see is black smoke coming out of that engine.
 
Other new board members, Mark Alexander and Mubarak Mohamed - would like to know which sporting federations voted for them and why?

Mr Alexander, the first in line for free Olympic tickets for family and friends and Mr Mubarak the threatening dictator, who is doing more damage than good to a sport like Karate.

Black belt, huh? - No “fat cat”!  

Still no-one even knows who nominated Dr Khoza for the presidency of SASCOC, even though he later withdrew from the race.

Tubby, please get in touch when you disembark in Amsterdam or Rio!
 
Mr Sam, I’m not sure if you read my 20 point plan suggestion in my last column.

It would seem not as the gravy train continues like an express train.

You said after your re-election, “total accountability must be practiced at all times and we at SASCOC are all servants because we are serving the nation”... 

Mmmmmmm.

Right now, SASCOC is still serving themselves at the expense of SA sport and the athletes and it is a disgraceful act of selfishness.

But then again, the SA sports federations voted these people in - or did they?

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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