Veteran woman sports administrator Muditambi “Ntambi” Ravele is prepared to fight on after allegedly being prevented from standing for the position of SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Commiee (Sascoc) president when the elections are held later this month.
Nominations for positions on the new Sascoc executive committee closed on Friday but Ravele had already decided to withdraw her nomination amid accusations that the incumbent, acting Sascoc president Barry Hendricks, had sabotaged her bid to become the next president of the sports umbrella body.
Ravele, a Sports Hall of Fame inductee and current board member of Tennis SA (TSA), said her nomination for the vice-presidency was rst blocked using some technicality.
Thereafter, her bid for the post of president was made difficult by some Sascoc officials and some of her colleagues at TSA, she said.
“I’ve been asking for a meeting with TSA officials on the way forward, but they told me they were not available this week and will not be available in the next coming weeks.
“I mean, this is an urgent matter. I could see I’m being sabotaged and decided to withdraw from the race,” said Ravele.
“But this is not the end of it, not at all. The same Barry [Hendricks] told me I should be nominated by another federation and not TSA, but the rules state that TSA still has to sign off my nomination, so I decided to withdraw on the grounds that I’m not in a winning situation.
“There are some men in South African sport who are not yet liberated and are not ready to be led by women. There has been unfairness and unethical behaviour on the part of some sports administrators. I have so many options. I can go to the gender commission.”
She said if push came to shove, she was prepared to take the matter to the highest court in the land on principle if she does not get any joy after writing to Sport
Minister Nathi Mthethwa to intervene.
Ravele’s efforts to ascend to the highest position in sport in the land comes after long-serving Sascoc president Gideon Sam stepped down.
But Hendricks has denied blocking Ravele’s nomination for the Sascoc presidency.
“I’ve seen the letter Ms Ravele wrote to the minister, it is specific and accuses me of blocking her nomination. The Sascoc rules are clear, there’s absolutely no individual who can prevent a nominee of good standing not to stand for elections,” said Hendricks.
“Secondly, she does not have proof that I am in cahoots with TSA to prevent her from being elected. Thirdly, we are instituting an independent inquiry, led
by an independent person, to look into the allegations made by Ms Ravele. The inquiry should get under way before the elections on March 28.”
Former boxing and netball official Ravele said she had support from TSA in November but that support had since fizzled out.
By Xolile Mtshazo
MtshazoX@sundayworld.co.za
Gloves come off as Ravele fights Sascoc, TSA officials
