SAFA SUBMISSION TO PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE SPORTS AMENDMENT BILL

The Honourable Mr. Khompela, other honourable members of the Committee, on behalf of Dr. Molefi Oliphant, President of SAFA, I want to thank the Committee for affording us an opportunity to comment on the draft amendments to the National Sport and Recreational Act.

SAFA welcomes the bill and wishes to express its support in favour of streamlining the legislation to provide clear direction for best practice corporate governance. SAFA subscribes to the principles of corporate governance as contained in the reports of the King Commission and several relevant pieces of legislation that requires institutions like SAFA to uphold the standards and principles of transparency, accountability and responsible governance.

SAFA welcomes the provision to support organising and presenting of capacity-building workshops to the national federations. We also acknowledge the fact of ensuring that training materials are standardised, developed by the Standard Generating Bodies and that a strategic framework for education and training will be developed and continuously updated. It will go a long way toward assisting us in delivery of our mission as a football federation.

However, we at SAFA are concerned though by the intervention proposal in the bill. This proposal has serious implications for SAFA, who as everyone knows is a member of FIFA. FIFA has an Association Committee that monitors governmental interference within national federations. It is our respectful submission that the implementation of proposed legislation could bring SAFA in conflict with FIFA non-interference policies.

SAFA recognises the rights of Parliament to play the watchdog role over public institutions like SAFA. We have no difficulty with being held accountable for our administration and responsibility entrusted to the leadership of SAFA by its members. However, as members of FIFA, we have also accepted the obligations placed on us by the FIFA constitution as a member of the FIFA family. Furthermore, our members have an obligation to comply with its constitution and ensure its compliance with the FIFA statutes. Prior to our adoption of our new revised constitution, it had to be submitted to FIFA for approval.

At its meeting in Zurich on the 27 October 2005, under the chairmanship of Dr Viacheslav Koloskov (Russia), the FIFA Association Committee reaffirmed its strong commitment to support and strengthen the member associations so as to protect them from governmental interference and internal wrangling. FIFA has on a number of occasions conveyed its concern at the increasing interference by governmental authorities.

In the last year, FIF A dealt with cases of government interference in several countries:

I.Egypt, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, Macau, Niger, Bosnia and Herzogovina, Gabon, Greece and Uganda..

2. Here in the Southern African Region, Zimbabawe Football Association was subjected to FIFA sanctions because of government interference.

3. In the cases of Greece, Poland and Portugal, the FIFA Executive Committee set a deadline of 15^th July 2006 for national laws to be amended, deleting references that make provision for government appointees and assumption of administrative and governance roles in the football federations.

South Africa is the host of the 2010 FIF A World Cup. As such, SAFA will be expected to demonstrate total compliance with FIFA policies and its statutes. It is imperative that we do not send the wrong message.

Accordingly, it respectfully requested that the Committee re-considers the intervention provisions and explore alternatives to achieve the same objective. It is our respectful submission that the SAFA constitution has sufficient mechanisms to ensure compliance with corporate governance principles. Perhaps, in our case, investment in capacity -building especially at grassroots levels- in order that members are able to exercise their right and obligations would be of tremendous assistance.

I thank you for affording us the opportunity to address you. Vernon Seymour

Chairman of SAFA Legal and Constitutional Committee