JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's sporting administration is in big trouble, with no visible end in sight. More international bodies are voicing their concerns and making it clear that they will not stand idle while everything continues to deteriorate.
All of this, at the expense of athletes looking to represent their country at an Olympic Games, a swimming world cup or at an All-Africa Games.
Of the country’s 95 Olympic and 416 Commonwealth Games Medals, Athletics and Swimming South Africa, which have contributed the bulk of these, come across as the perfect example of a sports federation that has run well.
Athletics South Africa (ASA) is the latest federation to be put on notice by an international sporting body. World Athletics has put ASA on notice, giving it six months to adopt a revised Constitution and hold fresh elections.
READ: Beyond Game Day | Why Are South African Sports Bodies in So Much Trouble? | 02 October 2026
World Athletics appointed eSwatini Athletics president and Confederation of African Athletics vice-president Zakhele Dlamini to oversee its directives.
This follows findings earlier this month by ASA's disciplinary panel, which found suspended President James Moloi guilty of the misuse of funds and recommended Moloi's removal.
Failure to adopt a revised ASA Constitution within the prescribed six-month period would have far-reaching consequences. The matter will be referred to the World Athletics Council for consideration of sanctions under Article 13.
READ: Beyond Game Day | Is South African Sport Being Failed Off The Field? | 11 September 2026
Depending on the circumstances, these may include provisional suspension of ASA's membership, subject to the applicable constitutional grounds and procedures, including ASA's right to respond. This could impact South African athletes on the world stage.
ASA's history is defined by cyclical, decade-spanning leadership crises. Boardrooms consistently turn into battlegrounds over financial misconduct, political interference, and the exploitation of athletes and leading to multiple national and international interventions from the sport's governing body, World Athletics.
From 2009’s firing of the then President Leonard Chuene and suspension of his entire executive board following the crisis around Caster Semenya at the Berlin World Champs.
A 2011 forensic report which uncovered financial misconduct, tax evasion and fraud which left a mere R2000 in the bank at ASA.
The 2013 struggle for power between Jame Evans and athlete Hendrick Ramaala, which led to SASCOC stopping athletes from competing at the Commonwealth Youth Games, Commonwealth Games, Anoca Youth Games, Zone VI games, All Africa Games, Olympic Youth Games and the Olympic Games and also being removed from the country’s Operation Excellence programme, which provides funding and support.
A year later, in 2014, World Athletics steps in again to intervene, forcing ASA to hold elections which led to the appointment of Aleck Skhosana, who, after years of interim administrators, turned the tide.
Fast-forward to 2026, dark clouds once again hover over the Federation in the now infamous credit-card at shebeen-gate.
- June–October 2025: Current ASA President James Moloi comes under fire during a parliamentary briefing. Allegations surface that Moloi misled Parliament regarding the personal misuse of corporate credit cards, funding personal trips for acquaintances with ASA money, and severe governance breakdowns.
- March 2026: Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture declares ASA to be "on the verge of collapse" due to a lack of structural financial controls. MPs collectively demand the immediate dissolution of the entire ASA board after winners of marquee events, like the Mpumalanga Marathon, are left completely unpaid.
- April 2026: Global governing body World Athletics issues a three-month warning to SASCOC and ASA regarding systemic political interference and administrative dysfunction.
- 6 October 2026: Following a forensic report by Forvis Mazars confirming hundreds of thousands of rands in unauthorized credit card transactions, the report recommends that Moloi be fired. He, however, remains suspended.
- 15 October 2026: World Athletics issues a final 6-month reform mandate, threatening South African athletics with a total international ban if the federation fails to permanently remove Moloi and rewrite its constitution.
ASA has not yet taken any action against Moloi.
READ: Beyond Game Day | Who’s walking alone in SA sport | 6 March 2026
In August, World Aquatics provisionally suspended Swimming South Africa's president Alan Fritz and Chief Executive Officer Shaun Adriaanse.
The duo was suspended for potential violations of the World Aquatics Integrity Code, including abuse of power and the provision of false information and fake documents.
Fritz has served on the executive at Swimming South Africa since 2004, while Adriaanse as CEO for more than 20yrs.
Swimming SA has, amongst other things, been charged with the mistreatment of Olympic Champion Tatjana Smith after they withheld $35,000 of her money from the World Aquatics Championships.
A year after it was supposed to be paid to her, saying she wore a personal sponsor's costume (Speedo) instead of the federation's sponsor (Arena).
Swim SA has since apologised after facing legal demands and parliamentary scrutiny and paid the prize money plus R75,000 in interest, after they had previously claimed the interest was a "management fee".
They are currently embroiled in a legal battle with athletes, including a R7.2-million lawsuit threat from artistic swimmers Laura Strugnell and Jessica Hayes-Hill over sanctions and a disciplinary process, as well as an ongoing tit-for-tat friction with Water Polo South Africa.
READ: Beyond Game Day | Why Are South Africa’s Sports Federations Failing? | 28 August 2026
Also on their plate is the investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) regarding the corrupt allocation and abandonment of a high-performance training center in Franschhoek. More than R50 million in funding from World Aquatics, the National Lotteries Commission, and the Sports Trust went into the project, which stalled into a vandalized site with sewage-filled pools.
READ: Beyond Game Day | Who lost control of sport? | 10 July 2026
On the other hand, Karate South Africa has provisionally suspended its president, Sonny Pillay and two executives, Malefetsane Hoaeane and Lucinda Roetz, in late June 2026.
In September, the trio approached the South Gauteng High Court on an urgent basis to overturn their suspensions.
READ: Beyond Game Day | History, DNA and the cost of talent | 26 June 2026
The challenge was dismissed as it lacked jurisdiction over the Spain-based World Karate Federation (WFK).
One could conclude that the above issues in ASA and Swim SA are not a surprise because the Mother Sporting Body, (SASCOC) is in the exact boat.
As far back as the 2018 Judge Ralph Zulman report, which highlighted internal factionalism, legal battles among leadership, and governance breakdowns as systemic handicaps to South African sports administration, nothing seems to have changed.
Whilst SASCOC has clamped down on non-compliant national federations, going as far as suspending the likes of Chess SA, SA Korfball, and Powerboat Racing SA, Basketball, and Karate over missing safeguarding policies and misaligned constitutions, they too have been found wanting.
From heavy criticism at Parliament and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture for sluggish or reactive oversight of troubled member codes such as SAFA, ASA, Netball, Chess, Swimming and many others to the reported R25.67-million deficit for the financial year ending March 2026.
Culminating with the Suspension of President Barry Hendricks in September 2026 following an independent investigation by retired Judge Basheer Waglay. A probe that found evidence regarding anonymous complaints of serious breaches of SASCOC’s safeguarding policy and Code Handbook, including being drunk on international trips on the ‘Company Dime’.
He is one of many of the federation's presidents to leave under a cloud. Lwandile Simelane, SASCOC's first Vice President, is currently acting President of the federation.
Worst-case scenario, should ASA be suspended by World Athletics, SASCOC would need to suspend them as well. Athletes who should be preparing for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, will be greatly affected.