CGA dissolves embattled Soweto Marathon Trust and associated bodies

The Soweto Marathon Trust (SMT) and all structures linked to it have been dissolved amid a forensic probe, Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) said in a notice to Soweto clubs on Wednesday.

The provincial body wants a new structure to oversee the iconic event, dubbed the People’s Race. 

The provincial body said efforts to secure “financial and race reports and all other records for the 2022, 2023 and 2024 race editions that would assist in instituting a fair forensic investigation on anyone, including our members who are alleged to have been involved in misappropriation of funds” had been seemingly defied by SMT trustees.

The SMT was established in 2013 through a memorandum of understanding between Athletics South Africa (ASA), which had previously overseen the race, CGA and the about 18 Soweto athletics clubs, the beneficiaries of the race.

In 2023 the SMT trustees were accused of dipping into the funds without approval, leading to the trust’s bank account being frozen and four trustees suspended. Three of them were expelled by ASA. 

In a bid to keep the annual race going that year, Soweto running clubs agreed that as a stopgap, a private company, Soweto Marathon, be formed to organise the 2023 edition.

The new entity had to deal with SMT’s debts exceeding R2m, including hundreds of thousands owed in sanctioning fees to CGA, which was said to be on the verge of cancelling the race.

The directors of the new company also attracted African Bank as a long-term title sponsor.

With no resolution to the SMT drama, the private company again organised the 2024 race, which was heralded as an organisational success.

But clubs felt excluded from the process and accused those running the new company of hijacking the race and demanding to see the books. One of the company's directors, Thokozani Mazibuko, was suspended as a CGA board member pending an investigation.

CGA general manager Mandla Radebe said in the circular to clubs that the dissolution was “the most responsible and practical course of action”.

The dissolution of the SMT had been in the works for a while, with disgruntled people pointing out that a trust was the wrong mechanism because removing trustees was a lengthy and cumbersome process, as they had discovered after the 2023 fiasco.

“After careful consideration and a thorough review of the current state of affairs in this structure, which ASA and CGA are party to, the board of CGA has unanimously decided to dissolve Soweto Marathon Trust and any other structure which is linked causally with SMT, whether by name or by its activities,” Radebe said.

He added that CGA would host a convention where all parties would meet to discuss and formulate a new structure to be a vehicle to facilitate the hosting of the race on behalf of the clubs.

“Though the board of CGA has resolved to have the SMT dissolved, we want to stress all forensic investigations that had already begun will be taken to their logical conclusion, which will invariably ensure there is accountability of public funds, accountability to all the race stakeholders including sponsors of Soweto Marathon.”