There have been so many own goals among South African sports federations that it would be funny if it were not catastrophic and heartbreaking.
This week, Tatjana-gate broke and has surely divided the country right down the middle, largely along racial lines.
Mzansi’s most decorated Olympian of all time Tatjana Smith (née Schoenmaker) announced that she was dumping her country of birth and would compete in the colours of the Netherlands at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, US.
While one could sense her projected plan of action, judging by her retirement in 2024 and her comeback earlier this year, the announcement still felt like a sucker punch, especially to young and upcoming swimmers.
As a sports-crazy nation, South Africa is known and respected for its winning mentality, passionate supporters and all-conquering athletes who are not afraid to take on any sportsman or teams in the world, anytime, anywhere.
But these days, sports stories are making the headlines for the wrong reasons and are landing on the wrong pages of newspapers — the front pages and news sections. It has become less about glory and achievement and more about scandal and controversy.
Sports stories are mirroring the broader trajectory of the country, projecting a gloomy picture and a rather sad state of affairs.
It’s not only Swimming South Africa (SSA) that finds itself in the soup. Just last month, at the Freedom Park Heritage Site & Museum in Pretoria, Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie had scathing words for other federations in disarray, among them hockey, netball, basketball and, ashamedly, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc).
He was addressing the media in a joint press briefing with the South African Football Association (Safa) President Danny Jordaan and CEO Lydia Monyepao about the implementation, or lack thereof, of the video assistant referee in the Premier Soccer League.
He even scolded Safa bosses for the slow progress in bringing VAR to the local league, after giving Safa a cool R20 million for the project. In December 2024, McKenzie announced a R5 million financial advance to Safa to help cover player salaries and bonuses ahead of the festive season.
Alongside the football disputes, McKenzie attacked the national sports bodies over funding models and administration.
He criticised domestic sports administrators for mismanagement, saying he inherited “the first port of wrong” across sporting codes and is pushing to amend the National Sport and Recreation Act.
He said that his tenure has coincided with a broader governance crisis involving suspensions at Sascoc, Athletics SA, Swimming SA and Netball SA.
The department drastically reduced annual grants to Sascoc and Olympic federations, insisting the bodies must become commercially self-sustaining rather than relying solely on state handouts. Before the R3 million SA Hockey bailout in July,, players in the men’s and women’s national hockey teams faced having to pay out of pocket to compete at the 2026 Hockey World Cup.
After a public backlash over the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture spending roughly R31 million on a Fifa World Cup delegation, McKenzie approved a R3 million grant for SA Hockey.
Tatjana-gate was just the tip of the iceberg, SA sport is decaying. Leaders at Sascoc, Athletics SA, Swimming SA, Basketball SA and Netball SA have been suspended, and the bodies have interim and acting presidents.
With Safa, it is better not to comment further…
- Tatjana Schoenmaker, South Africa's most decorated Olympian, announced she will compete for the Netherlands in the 2028 Olympic Games.
- Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie criticized several South African sports federations for mismanagement and slow progress, including Safa, Sascoc, Hockey, Netball, and Basketball.
- The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture recently reduced annual grants to Sascoc and Olympic federations, urging them to become commercially self-sustaining.
- A R3 million bailout was provided to SA Hockey after players faced paying out of pocket for the 2026 Hockey World Cup, following public outcry over government spending on a Fifa World Cup delegation.
- Leaders of Sascoc, Athletics SA, Swimming SA, Basketball SA, and Netball SA have been suspended, and these bodies currently have interim leadership.
There have been so many own goals among South African sports federations that it would be funny if it were not catastrophic and heartbreaking.
This week, Tatjana-gate broke and has surely divided the country right down the middle, largely along racial lines.
Mzansi’s most decorated Olympian of all time Tatjana Smith (née Schoenmaker) announced that she was dumping her country of birth and would compete in the colours of the Netherlands at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, US.
While one could sense her projected plan of action, judging by her retirement in 2024 and her comeback earlier this year, the announcement still felt like a sucker punch, especially to young and upcoming swimmers.
As a sports-crazy nation, South Africa is known and respected for its winning mentality, passionate supporters and all-conquering athletes who are not afraid to take on any sportsman or teams in the world, anytime, anywhere.
But these days, sports stories are making the headlines for the wrong reasons and are landing on the wrong pages of newspapers — the front pages and news sections. It has become less about glory and achievement and more about scandal and controversy.
Sports stories are mirroring the broader trajectory of the country, projecting a gloomy picture and a rather sad state of affairs.
It’s not only Swimming South Africa (SSA) that finds itself in the soup. Just last month, at the Freedom Park Heritage Site & Museum in Pretoria, Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie had scathing words for other federations in disarray, among them hockey, netball, basketball and, ashamedly, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc).
He was addressing the media in a joint press briefing with the South African Football Association (Safa) President Danny Jordaan and CEO Lydia Monyepao about the implementation, or lack thereof, of the video assistant referee in the Premier Soccer League.
He even scolded Safa bosses for the slow progress in bringing VAR to the local league, after giving Safa a cool R20 million for the project. In December 2024, McKenzie announced a R5 million financial advance to Safa to help cover player salaries and bonuses ahead of the festive season.
Alongside the football disputes, McKenzie attacked the national sports bodies over funding models and administration.
He criticised domestic sports administrators for mismanagement, saying he inherited “the first port of wrong” across sporting codes and is pushing to amend the National Sport and Recreation Act.
He said that his tenure has coincided with a broader governance crisis involving suspensions at Sascoc, Athletics SA, Swimming SA and Netball SA.
The department drastically reduced annual grants to Sascoc and Olympic federations, insisting the bodies must become commercially self-sustaining rather than relying solely on state handouts. Before the R3 million SA Hockey bailout in July,, players in the men’s and women’s national hockey teams faced having to pay out of pocket to compete at the 2026 Hockey World Cup.
After a public backlash over the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture spending roughly R31 million on a Fifa World Cup delegation, McKenzie approved a R3 million grant for SA Hockey.
Tatjana-gate was just the tip of the iceberg, SA sport is decaying. Leaders at Sascoc, Athletics SA, Swimming SA, Basketball SA and Netball SA have been suspended, and the bodies have interim and acting presidents.
With Safa, it is better not to comment further...
