Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Veronica van Dyk MP.
The DA has written to the chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on sports, arts and culture, Beauty Dlulane, to request that a new date be set for the Netball SA board to account to Parliament as a matter of urgency.
This after the committee was informed, less than two hours before the meeting was set to take place, that the Netball SA president, Cecilia Molokwane, and Netball SA CEO, Blanche de la Guerre, are unable to attend due to previous commitments despite the fact that they have known the date of today’s meeting since January.
The DA also requested that the committee invite the extended executive committee to join in the meeting with Netball SA.
It seems like the Netball SA president and CEO are trying to dodge accountability regarding the complete shambles the federation seems to be in. Reports from whistleblowers, as well as the former vice-president, Christine du Preez, indicate an increasing toxic work environment where accountability is shrugged and the federation’s own constitution seems to be regularly violated.
With the 2023 Netball World Cup set to take place in Cape Town, the federation cannot hide behind lame excuses and poor planning to avoid meeting with the committee. Their lack of communication and planning may have a severe impact on South Africa’s global image, and the organization must be closely monitored.
Serious questions regarding the safety of players during the world cup also needs to be answered, as Netball SA seems to have shown an alarming lack of concern for allegations of sexual abuse in the sport. The federation’s safeguarding policies are not even displayed on its website, and there seems to be little appetite to enforce it.
Netball SA needs to account as a matter of urgency, and no excuses must be accepted for failure to appear before the committee.