The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) on Sunday congratulated Aleck Skhosana on his appointment as the new president of Athletics South Africa (ASA).
[link id=”472″ tax=”post_tag” text=”Aleck Skhosana”] was elected to the position at a special general meeting of [link id=”127″ tax=”post_tag” text=”Athletics South Africa”] in Johannesburg on Saturday.
“We are delighted that the battle at ASA has finally come to a halt,” said [link id=”170″ tax=”post_tag” text=”Sascoc”] CEO Tubby Reddy, who added that said he hoped to have a good working relationship with the ASA following the change of leadership.
“We hope that athletics in South Africa will now be resurrected and we will hear more positive stories on success and development of the sport.”
On his part, Skhosana said the board would be looking to employ professional people for positions such as general manager or chief executive roles which were responsible for operations.
The board would only stand until 2016 which would give it limited time to get the sport back on track.
Elections were held for positions on the ASA executive board. These were president, vice-president, chairpersons of the cross-country commission, the road running commission, the track and field commission and the athletes’ commission, and four additional members.
We hope that athletics in South Africa will now be resurrected and we will hear more positive stories on success and development of the sport. [Tubby Reddy]
Saturday’s elections brought an end to a year-long power struggle and sees Skhosana, a former KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) president take the reins after the position was left vacant when the previous president [link id=”172″ tax=”post_tag” text=”James Evans”] stepped down following the International Association of Athletics Federation’s (IAAF) visit in February.
On his visit to South Africa at the time, IAAF representative Cheikh Thiare met with the ASA council, represented by 15 of 17 provinces and an ASA general assembly, which include Evans’s depleted board and one mandated provincial member.
The recognised ASA executive, led by Evans, and the federation’s interim board, led by chairman Sello Mokoena, subsequently stepped down with both groups — each previously claiming to have control of the federation — agreeing to the appointment of an interim committee.
Skhosana beat off a challenge by Mokoena, Evans and Steve Mkasi on Saturday. Harold Adams was elected as vice-president after he withdrew his candidature for president.
KZNA was declared bankrupt under Skhosana, while the province had been marred by allegations of fraud, corruption and mismanagement.
Thiare, who oversaw the meeting, endorsed the process and believed ASA would move forward on a clean slate.
The newly elected Athletics South Africa Board:
President: Aleck Skhosana
Vice-President: Dr Harold Adams
Cross-Country commission Chair: Jakes Jacobs
Road Running commission Chair: James Moloi
Track and Field commission Chair: Pieter Lourens
Athletes commission Chair: Dorah Mngwevu
Additional board members:
- Ntathu Gwadiso,
- Motlatsi Keikabile,
- Esther Malema,
- Shireen Noble.
