KZN Athletics dealt a body blow

Taking a big blow in their attempt to cling to power, the KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) board have been given a unanimous vote of no confidence by a large group of the organisation’s members.

At a special general meeting on Saturday, organised by a KZNA task team formed by Athletics South Africa (ASA), over 100 of the provincial body’s member clubs called for the board to be axed.

“A unanimous decision was taken to remove and dissolve the KZNA board that is already suspended by ASA, and support the ASA appointed administrator (Jay Reddy) to run the KZNA affairs until the 2020 election of a new, fit and proper leadership,” the task team said in a statement.

Accusing the board of misusing funds, bringing the sport into disrepute and “chasing sponsors away”, the task team said it would take disciplinary measures against KZNA staff who resisted Reddy’s takeover of the office. It was also willing to return to court if the board refused to step down.

“The people we elected in 2012 have deviated from the mandate we gave them and they must respect the decision of the majority of clubs who have unanimously resolved to remove them,” the task team said.

Earlier last week, the KZNA board had resisted the attempted coup, insisting procedures had not been followed in organising the SGM, as the meeting had not been cleared by the embattled executive in line with the provincial body’s constitution.

After being suspended by ASA late last year, the board had received some respite in January when the South Gauteng High Court overturned their temporary ban and ordered the national federation to stop disciplinary procedures against the provincial executive.

The court had also called for arbitration processes to be followed in an attempt to resolve the conflict.

Following this latest move by member clubs, however, arbitration seemed unlikely and the KZNA board was expected to reignite their legal battle.

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