Recent media reports and comments, related to the recent cut in funding to SASCOC and National Federations by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), call for SASCOC to intervene and address the implications. SASCOC and the National Federations received letters from DSAC communicating the cut in funding without prior notification, citing budget constraints and a reduction in funds available from the Fiscal Budget for the 2025/2026 period.
Mr Barry Hendricks, SASCOC President, confirmed the severity of the predicament facing the Sports Movement by this action. The 2011 National Sports and Recreation Plan, which is due for review, is clear on what it takes to deliver on the pillars of an active nation and a winning nation, and the enabling environment to achieve these goals; as well as clear obligations contained in the National Sports and Recreation Act, for DSAC to support SASCOC and the National Federations.
Despite engagements with the Minister and his department, including one on one meetings, the status quo remains the same: funding to SASCOC and the National Federations has not been reviewed.
Ms Nozipho Jafta, SASCOC CEO, advised the following:
1. SASCOC believes that there is a breach of the Multi-Year Funding Agreements that the National Federations individually signed with DSAC. The entities entered into three-year agreements with DSAC to allow for stable planning, effective and timeous delivery of various sporting programmes.
2. SASCOC is categorised as an entity whose funding is allocated through National Treasury, within the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). Any intention or decision to re-allocate these funds must follow a detailed process and must receive approval from National Treasury. It is our view that the necessary steps have not been taken to receive this approval, which has serious implications for SASCOC’s high performance mandate of preparing and delivering, for participation, Team South Africa, at the global multi-coded events, such as The World Games, Commonwealth Games, African Games, Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, amongst others.
3. SASCOC and the National Federations have made expenditure commitments on the understanding that the signed agreements with DSAC would be honoured by the Minister and his department. The announcement of funding cuts midstream, directly undermines these initiatives and, in most cases, jeopardises the survival of the affected National Federations’ sport development activities at grass-roots level, equally impacting talent identification opportunities. Furthermore, such midstream changes erode trust and creates operational instability across the entire sporting sector.
4. SASCOC is of the opinion that these decisions to change the funding agreements that have been signed jointly with DSAC, and legislated by governance principles undermine the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000 (PAJA) by reducing the capacity of state institutions to comply with PAJA’s requirements for lawful, reasonable, and procedurally fair administrative action.
5. SASCOC and the National Federations, in turn, face reputational risk, with their stakeholders, amongst others, the International Olympic Committee, corporate partners, the public and, importantly, the athletes, coaches and administrators and technical officials, by not delivering on the obligations that have been committed to and obligated to deliver upon.
Ms. Jafta further confirmed that, a number National Federations have met with DSAC, where a number have been promised to receive funding, however, with no deadlines in place – while also being informed that DSAC has approached corporates entities who have made promises to sponsor sporting entities, but no commitment from these sponsors has been received.
Mr. Barry Hendricks calls on the Minister and DSAC to:
a. Consider reversing the decision to reduce funding and, in many cases, completely defund by honouring the three-year signed agreements and grant SASCOC its legislated allocation.
b. Engage National Treasury and request additional allocation of funding, considering DSAC’s shift in priorities and the new commitment to projects such as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), which has received a commitment of R82 million from DSAC.
c. Provide commitment, with clearly defined milestones, for the agreed funds to be transferred to SASCOC and the National Federations.
d. Clarify roles, responsibilities, and obligations of all parties as provided for in the National Sport and Recreation Act, the National Sport and Recreation Plan, and the White Paper on Sport and Recreation.
SASCOC’s High Performance General Manager, Mr. Leon Fleisher, added “for us to realise the potential of our athletes and the expectation of the South African population on medal delivery at all TEAM SA events, we need to support the athletes, their coaches, and their programs.
Governmental and Corporate support will allow the athletes to compete nationally and internationally, gaining the necessary experience to compete at the highest level. Giving the athletes the security of funding support within the various athlete development cycles, will ensure that SASCOC is able to deliver a high-quality team to the multi-coded Games, with the National Federations also delivering competitive teams to their respective continental and international competitions. This latest setback will have a negative impact on athlete preparation, with the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles being less than three years away.”
In conclusion, Ms. Jafta confirmed that, the Minister has spoken openly about Project 350: delivering South Africa’s biggest team to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 (LA28). “The cut in funding will negatively impact this ambition: the athletes and teams need to meet the necessary qualification standards and requirements, and this cannot be achieved without the financial support for training and competition. Global trends and reports show other countries like the United States of America, Great Britain, China, amongst others, receiving increased funding from their governments for preparation towards LA28, while South Africa is doing the opposite”, she added.
Mr. Hendricks requested Minister McKenzie to adhere to the Sports & Recreation Act and National Sports & Recreational Plan. He further requested the Minister to work with the South African Sports movement in consultation with SASCOC, to help change the sporting landscape to ensure we deliver real sporting change, from grassroots to high performance levels, and maintain South African Pride in TEAM SA and all the National Federations that work with the athletes and their support structures.
