There are concerns that the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee’s (Sascoc) upcoming elections won’t be free and fair.

The umbrella body for South African sporting codes is set to hold its quadrennial general meeting (QGM) on 7 November, where a new leadership structure is to be put into place.

However, when Sascoc made its second appearance in as many weeks before the parliamentary committee for sport, the oversight body’s members expressed concerns that the process may be compromised.

At last week’s appearance, some of the Sascoc board members accused Sam Ramsamy, the veteran sports administrator charged with ensuring the elections run smoothly, of displaying favouritism and running the whole process like a dictator.

Ramsamy was appointed as an election facilitator in July 2020 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

“The elections need to be postponed until we see that everything is fine. But we leave that to the department [of sport], through the minister. To see what should happen. The minister needs to be closer to the process; if there is a need for intervention, let it be. But, to us, the elections will not be free and fair,” said sports committee member Mammoga Seabi.

The Sascoc board accuses Ramsamy of siding with reinstated acting president Barry Hendricks. The acting president was suspended by the board in mid-April for allegedly conspiring with Tennis SA president Gavin Crookes to block a rival, Ntambi Ravele, from standing against him in the organisation’s elections.  

An independent arbitrator cleared Hendricks of any wrongdoing in that regard. The Sascoc board instituted an internal disciplinary hearing after this. 

However, during a special general meeting (SGM) held in September, Hendricks’ suspension was lifted when he received 47 votes against 10 from the general assembly, which then ordered the board to scrap the disciplinary hearing and reinstate him to his previous position.

“To make remarks that elections are not going to be free and fair is most unwarranted and unjustified, and to some extent it reflects on my integrity. Which I believe, that’s not fair, that’s not fair at all,” said the 82-year-old Ramsamy.

“And I again emphasise: I followed the process and the process resulted in what had happened at the SGM – including the issue on Mr Hendricks, including the agreeing on the date of the elective quadrennial general meeting and all those matters.”   

The committee is adamant, though, that as things stand the election outcome will be questionable. Tsepo Mhlongo, another member of the committee, echoed his peers in calling for a halt of the elections until the confederation has its house in order.  

“In the best interest of athletes and sport in SA, the elections must be postponed until we are comfortable. The IOC and IPC already gave approval to all nations that elections can be postponed due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Mhlongo.

The president of Netball South Africa, Cecilia Molokwane, who is also on the board of Sascoc, once again highlighted that she believes Ramsamy has continuously sidelined them since his arrival.

“Now Doctor [Ramsamy] is referring to us as ‘this group.’ I don’t know if he says, ‘this group of people that I cannot account to’ or… ‘I cannot answer to’. To him I’m asking this question: are we ‘this group’ or are we a board? Does he consider us as a board that was elected by council members, by the general assembly?” said Molokwane.

“And when you [Ramsamy] say you were engaging the board, when did you engage us? My question is simple. As I remember… and I’ve never missed any board meeting… I have never. When did you engage us as a board? Because the only time I remember was when you came to introduce yourself. We are the people you should take through this process, and make us understand this process. Why don’t we understand this process?”

Ramsamy said that he would continue to fulfil the mandate which he was handed by the IOC – which is to “protect the Olympic movement of South Africa”. He reiterated that any claims of him favouring anyone within Sascoc were fiction.

Committee member Seabi highlighted that while these squabbles were taking place, the athletes would be the ones to bear the brunt, especially with the postponed Tokyo Olympics set to take place in 2021.

“I doubt that, with the mother body fighting amongst themselves, we will have thorough preparations for the 2021 Olympic Games. But I see from where I’m standing now, with all these reports from today and last week, that our athletes will just be visitors there, and they will bring back nothing because the mother body is busy with other things,” noted Seabi. DM