The Freedom Front Plus has opened a parliamentary front against Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie over swimming champion Tatjana Smith.
The party accuses McKenzie of evading responsibility after Smith announced that she would compete for the Netherlands.
FF Plus sports spokesperson Heloïse Denner has written to McKenzie demanding urgent intervention at Swimming South Africa.
She will also submit parliamentary questions about his powers and the department’s financial oversight of the troubled federation.
READ MORE: Gayton McKenzie wishes Tatjana Smith well after Dutch switch
Denner argues that Smith’s decision exposes administrative failure, alleged financial misconduct and poor treatment of elite swimmers.
Smith said financial pressure and inadequate high-performance support contributed to her decision to change allegiance.
“The poor treatment of a world champion such as Smith is not a one-time occurrence,” Denner said.
She accused McKenzie of washing his hands of the crisis by arguing that the government cannot interfere in independent sporting federations.
McKenzie said federations governed themselves and remained responsible for attracting sponsors and funding international participation.
However, he said federations receiving public money must account to the department for its use.
FF Plus challenges minister’s interpretation
Denner said the National Sport and Recreation Act gave McKenzie powers to intervene in disputes and alleged mismanagement.
She said section 13 permitted intervention where misconduct threatened to bring a sporting code into disrepute.
Possible measures include mediation or a ministerial directive. The government may also withhold funding or withdraw a federation’s recognition.
However, Denner acknowledged that McKenzie must avoid unlawful government interference in an autonomous sporting federation.
International bodies, including World Aquatics and the International Olympic Committee, impose strict rules protecting federations from political control.
READ MORE: McKenzie given 14 days to act on resolution to dissolve ASA board
The FF Plus nevertheless insists that autonomy does not place federations beyond accountability, particularly when they receive public money.
Denner asked McKenzie to obtain a legal opinion defining the extent of his powers and responsibilities.
She also wants the department to disclose Swimming SA’s state funding and determine whether it complied with funding conditions.
“The Department is responsible for ensuring that funds allocated to federations are used for their intended purposes,” Denner wrote.
She also asked whether Swimming SA or Sascoc had formally reported internal disputes involving Smith.
Prize-money battle fuels offensive
The FF Plus said Smith required legal assistance to recover about R578,000 in prize money from the 2023 World Championships.
It also highlighted reports that swimmers must finance their participation in some international competitions.
Denner said swimmers faced a R55,000 bill to compete at the upcoming World Short Course Championships in Beijing.
She also cited the troubled high-performance centre in Franschhoek, which allegedly consumed about R50-million since 2023.
World Aquatics’ integrity unit provisionally suspended Swimming SA president Alan Fritz and chief executive Shaun Adriaanse in August.
READ MORE: Tatjana Smith inspires SA to first gold medal at Paris Olympics
The FF Plus said the allegations included abuse of power, false information and forged documents.
Denner called for cooperation between McKenzie’s department and the international investigation already under way.
She also wants investigations by the Special Investigating Unit and National Lotteries Commission concluded urgently.
The party initially demanded an independent judicial inquiry into Swimming SA’s operations.
It has now sharpened its offensive by challenging McKenzie’s interpretation of his legal authority.
Smith remains one of South Africa’s greatest Olympians after winning the country’s first gold medal at the Paris Games.
R31m spending enters dispute
Denner also criticised the R31-million spent on South Africa’s participation at the FIFA World Cup.
McKenzie previously defended the expenditure as an investment in tourism, economic promotion and nation-building.
Denner argued that such expenditure could not be justified while athletes struggled to finance international competition.
READ MORE: Gayton McKenzie defends R31-million FIFA World Cup bill
McKenzie’s response to the letter and parliamentary questions could determine the next stage of the dispute.
The FF Plus warned that continued inaction could cost South Africa more elite athletes and weaken confidence in McKenzie.
“South Africa should not lose its top athletes due to failures within the very structures supposed to support them,” Denner said.
- The Freedom Front Plus has opened a parliamentary front against Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie over swimming champion Tatjana Smith.
- The party accuses McKenzie of evading responsibility after Smith announced that she would compete for the Netherlands.
- FF Plus sports spokesperson Heloïse Denner has written to McKenzie demanding urgent intervention at Swimming South Africa.
- She will also submit parliamentary questions about his powers and the department’s financial oversight of the troubled federation.
- READ MORE: Gayton McKenzie wishes Tatjana Smith well after Dutch switch Denner argues that Smith’s decision exposes administrative failure, alleged financial misconduct and poor treatment of elite swimmers.
