SA won't bid for Olympics

The sports ministry said it would not ask the government to reconsider a bid for the 2020 Olympics, ending a long-running saga over whether South Africa would try to host the next available Summer Games.

Sports ministry spokesman Paena Galane said yesterday "there will be no bid from South Africa for the 2020 Olympics".

Galane said Minister of Sport Fikile Mbalula had considered asking the government to reconsider a bid after South Africa's hosting of the International Olympic Committee session in Durban last month.

The government initially decided against a 2020 bid in May.

Galane said the sports ministry had decided it was "not going to resubmit the request to bid".