I must admit, (the finances) are bad. They're bleak. It's a question of living from month to month. The situation is bad but we do have people who are prepared to come and assist
Athletics SA (ASA) is in a bleak financial state, the federation's administrator Ray Mali admitted Saturday after naming a nine-member interim board to take over the organisation.
"I must admit, they're bad," he told TIMES Live. "They're bleak. It's a question of living from month to month. The situation is bad but we do have people who are prepared to come and assist."
Mali declined to comment on reports that documents at ASA had gone missing in the last days before he took office after the ASA president Leonard Chuene, his executive and some staff members were suspended by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc). "We'll share that information with you after ASA's first board meeting," said Mali, who was appointed by Sascoc to administer the federation until its affairs are sorted out.
He confirmed, however, that auditors had been brought in to look through ASA's finances. "In a situation like this you need qualified people to handle those things."
Three athletes are on the interim board, which will handle the runnings ASA while Mali continues Sascoc's inquiry. They are three-time Olympian Hendrick Ramaala, Commonwealth Games sprint medallist Geraldine Pillay and veteran runner Blanche Moila. Ruben Ramolefi, SA's 3000m steeple chase champion, is expected to be co-opted as a 10th board member soon.
But there is no uniform happiness over the new executive, with some critics claiming that Aleck Skosana of KwaZulu-Natal and James Moloi of Central Gauteng did not have a mandate to be voted onto the interim board. However, both produced letters from provincial office-bearers which, they said, showed they did have the mandate.
Mali added: "I have not received any objections (about the board members). If there is an objection I will attend to it."
Hezekiel Sepeng, the 800m silver medallist from the 1996 Olympics, was furious because in spite of being part of a recent rebellion at Athletics Central North-West, where they threw out provincial president Adam Motlagale for Paul van der Merwe, his province had no representation in Saturday's meeting. That's because Motlagale tried to gain access insisting he was still the president, and it was decided that he and Van der Merwe would have to sort out which one could attend.
The two spent the meeting outside, with Van der Merwe apparently trying to explain that 44 clubs had passed a vote of no-confidence in him.
Several athletes were also upset that they didn't get the 50% representation they wanted on the board, but Ramaala pointed out that 40% was not bad. He was hopeful that the election of the interim board was a good start, although he said he was not entirely happy with all the members.
"We don't like some names. We are not going to mention names. As athletes we don't trust the old administrators - they couldn't stand up for the athletes. But now they're wearing different jackets, now they're for transformation all of a sudden. Sometimes you need revolutions to change things.
"Certain individuals will be watched and they will be warned if they try to (stray) from the athletics agenda. I'm sick and tired of people coming into the sport for their own gain, for positions. Because that is what is happening in (some) provinces where people are stuck in the old system where positions are more important than the sport. The sport must continue."
The other board members are James Makoka, Daan Louw, Pieter Lourens and James Evans.
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