Athletics South Africa launches investigation into coastal member

KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) could be placed under administration if its board is found to be disrupting the progress of the sport, Athletics South Africa (ASA) has warned, after the national federation launched a task team to investigate the provincial body at the weekend.

Repeated clashes between KZNA and ASA had landed up in court earlier in the week, ASA acting chief executive Richard Stander revealed on Sunday, with the national organisation lashing out in response to its coastal member.

One of two KZNA delegates had been denied access to the ASA special general meeting in Kempton Park on Saturday, where the federation’s audited financial statements were approved.

“A co-opted member is not elected, so they cannot vote or carry a mandate to the clubs. The constitution is very clear,” Stander said.

While both delegates – KZNA president Sello Mokoena and the unnamed co-opted member – were allowed into the subsequent ASA council meeting, a statement from Mokoena was apparently interrupted by council members.

The provincial body was accused of ignoring council decisions and making unreasonable challenges to financial statements.

It was also alleged to have “intentionally attacked” the national federation in recent weeks, in written letters and on social media.

The “last straw”, according to Stander, was the correspondence received from KZNA this week, requesting whether an application had been made for a portion of the province to be recognised as a separate ASA member.

The federation had apparently informed KZNA that no such application would be entertained, and the provincial body would need to resolve the dispute.

In response, KZNA approached the high court in Pietermaritzburg to intervene, which Stander claimed was both unnecessary and in breach of the ASA constitution.

“The council has instructed a task team to call the KZNA board together, list all the points that have been raised and confront them on what is going on here,” Stander said.

“If the board is found guilty, the council has the power to put KZNA under administration.”

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