How Africa News
South African Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula has banned South African Rugby, Cricket , Netball and Athletics from bidding for major international sporting events.
Speaking during the release of the Eminent Persons Group on Transformation in Sport in Pretoria, Mbalula said:
“I have resolved to revoke the privilege of Athletics South Africa (ASA), Cricket South Africa (CSA), Netball South Africa (NSA) and South African Rugby (SARU) to host and bid for major and mega international tournaments in the Republic of South Africa as a consequence of the aforementioned federations, not meeting their own set transformation targets with immediate effect,” Mbalula said on Monday.
“I will review this decision when considering the results of the 2016/2017 Transformation Barometer.”
In 2015, he Department of Sports and Recreation‚ South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) and a number of South Africa’s sporting federations signed a memorandum to agree to transform South African sport along racial and gender lines and include more people with disabilities in their structures.
This decision could potentially jeopardise South African Rugby’s decision to bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup as the deadline for unions to confirm their intent to tender a bid is June 2016.
source: The South African
