Johannesburg – Athletics South Africa (ASA) will appoint a new ad hoc committee to run the federation, after both sides of the leadership battle met with a representative of the global governing body at the weekend.
Cheikh Thiare, director of the president's office at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), said he had spent a fruitful first two days in the country.
He met with the ASA council, represented by 15 of 17 provinces, in Johannesburg on Saturday, and an ASA general assembly, which included ASA president James Evans' depleted board and one mandated provincial member, in Pretoria on Sunday.
With the recognised ASA executive, led by Evans, and the federation's interim board, led by chairman Sello Mokoena, both opting to step down, Thiare believed the national athletics body could recover from its lengthy internal crisis.
“There is no better medication than the rule of democracy, and the decision has returned to the members,” Thiare said on Sunday.
“The athletics family must now come together and choose who they want as their leaders.”
Thiare found there was a stalemate between the leadership factions and declared that ASA had come to a standstill.
Consequently, both groups previously claiming to have control of the federation had agreed to the appointment of an interim committee, which would lead the sport until a new executive was elected within three months.
Evans' board and the former interim board had agreed to drop court cases against each other, and all suspensions handed down throughout the conflict would be lifted.
Thiare said a five-member ad hoc committee would be ideal, but the ASA members could not appoint more than seven people.
The members of the ad hoc committee would not be allowed to stand for the upcoming general elections.
“The committee will be assigned certain tasks that must be clarified in a road map,” he said.
“The road map must be agreed upon and signed by all parties.”
Anyone who felt they were fit to stand for a post at the general elections would be allowed to do so.
“The election process will be held under the supervision of the IAAF, in order to see whether notices are sent in due course and have been received by the relevant people.
“Any stakeholder who feels fit for election should be allowed to stand, and everything must be done in compliance with the present ASA constitution.” – Sapa