Parliament urges ASA board dissolution amid deepening governance crisis

Parliament has recommended the dissolution of the Athletics South Africa (ASA) board, delivering a damning verdict on the state of the country’s athletics administration.

The Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture concluded that the federation has failed in its fiduciary responsibilities and is no longer capable of safeguarding the interests of athletes. The decision follows a series of governance lapses, financial concerns, and internal conflict.

Committee chairperson Joe McGluwa warned that ASA is “on the verge of collapse” due to weak financial controls and a breakdown in leadership.

“There is no way the entity could run an effective athletics programme with the level of brokenness manifest in this board,” McGluwa said. “We are going to be wondering why we fail to bring home medals when we are managing chaos instead of running successful programmes.”

The recommendation follows a tense parliamentary briefing on 31 March, where ASA officials were grilled on several issues, most notably the failure to pay winners of ASA-sanctioned marathons in Mpumalanga and Soweto. MPs described the situation as unacceptable, noting that it undermines both athlete welfare and the credibility of the sport.

Committee member Tebogo Letsie called for urgent accountability, questioning why prize money had not been paid and urging ASA to take decisive action, including opening criminal cases against errant organisers. He further suggested that events linked to repeat offenders should be shut down to protect the integrity of the competition.

The committee also raised concerns about broader governance failures, including inaccuracies in ASA’s presentation, the absence of board members during critical engagements, and the lack of progress in key administrative appointments.

Criticism extended to the handling of previous investigative reports, with MPs noting that recommendations from a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe had not been fully implemented.

Adding to the pressure is scrutiny from World Athletics, which has indicated it will monitor ASA’s compliance with a reform roadmap. The global body has flagged issues such as inadequate financial oversight, weak governance structures, and a need for improved professionalism.

Meanwhile, Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has been criticised for failing to attend the parliamentary session, despite earlier commitments to intervene in ASA’s ongoing challenges.

While the recent suspension of ASA president James Moloi over findings of credit card abuse adds another layer to the crisis, lawmakers made it clear that the problems run far deeper than any single individual. With Parliament now formally calling for the board’s dissolution, the focus shifts to whether decisive action will be taken to reset governance at ASA before the damage becomes irreversible.