Johannesburg – South Africa's Olympic governing body stands by decisions it has taken and the processes it has followed in its administrative takeover of Athletics SA (ASA).
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said this week it would send a delegation to South Africa to meet the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) and ASA, and consider taking control of the sport.
“We're confident in our decisions; and, with regards to process, they (the IAAF) need to understand the damage this has caused to athletics,” Sascoc CEO Tubby Reddy said on Wednesday.
“They need to come and see the work that has been done by the administrator (Zola Majavu) in assisting the federation up to this point.”
In a letter Reddy received on Tuesday, the IAAF said the global body did not recognise Majavu and would continue to recognise the ASA board.
“It is a fundamental principle of the IAAF's governance of the sport of athletics that its national governing bodies are run – and are allowed to be run – as democratically-elected institutions, in accordance with their statutes, free from any influence or interference,” Cheikh Thiare, director of the executive office of the IAAF president, told Reddy.
“Membership of the IAAF and the right to participate in international competitions is conditional upon such principle being upheld, without derogation or compromise in any measure.”
After its imminent visit to the country, if the IAAF believed conflict had brought ASA activities to a standstill, it would appoint an ad hoc committee to run the sport, and possibly prepare a general assembly to be conducted in accordance with ASA's constitution.
A report would be made to the IAAF council, together with recommendations for further action.
Reddy, however, said Sascoc still recognised its suspensions of ASA president James Evans and the entire ASA board for infringing provisions of the Olympic body's constitution.
Majavu was appointed as interim ASA administrator in April, with Sascoc giving him 120 days to help the embattled federation clear its mounting debt.
“Our stance remains the same. I have already engaged with Thiare on this matter,” Reddy said.
“On June 13, I will be in Lausanne, where the Olympic committees around the world will come together (at an Association of National Olympic Committees meeting), and Thiare will be there, so we will find some time to discuss this matter further.”
Thiare said the IAAF recognised that ASA was undergoing serious financial difficulties, largely inherited from the former administration, and that these needed to be addressed.
“What the IAAF will not tolerate, however, is Sascoc's attempt to take over the running of the sport and, in doing so, ignore the democratic structures and processes that are already in place within the ASA constitution.”
Evans, who filed papers in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court in Cape Town last week, in an attempt to overturn Sascoc's decision to suspend the board, was pleased that the global athletics body had stepped in.
“They have followed due process and protocol,” Evans said.
“I think it's great that they are supporting athletics people to sort out athletics issues.” – Sapa