Swimming South Africa SSA

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – OCTOBER 01: A general view of heated and covered swimming pool during the official opening of the 2021/2022 Swimming Season at Linden Swimming Pool on October 01 , 2021 in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is part of the City of Johannesburg community development projects. (Photo by Gallo Images/Luba Lesolle)

Calls mount for action against Swimming South Africa over sexual misconduct allegations

The DA’s Deputy Shadow Minister for Sports, Arts and Culture, Veronica van Dyk called out SSA for its ‘trend of dodging accountability.

Swimming South Africa SSA

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – OCTOBER 01: A general view of heated and covered swimming pool during the official opening of the 2021/2022 Swimming Season at Linden Swimming Pool on October 01 , 2021 in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is part of the City of Johannesburg community development projects. (Photo by Gallo Images/Luba Lesolle)

The Democratic Alliance have led appeals for the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, to ensure that Swimming South Africa (SSA) are called to account for the various allegations of sexual misconduct at the federation.

The DA’s Deputy Shadow Minister for Sports, Arts and Culture, Veronica van Dyk called out SSA for its ‘trend of dodging accountability by handing in its report to the parliamentary portfolio committee for sports, arts and culture at the last minute’.

Swimming South Africa must be held accountable

“This meant that committee members did not have enough time to prepare questions on the report,” Van Dyk said.

Van Dyk slammed SSA for obstructing a parliamentary probe into allegations of sexual abuse during the period of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

“The DA therefore also calls on the chairperson of the committee, Beauty Dlulane, to reconvene the meeting as a matter of urgency so that SSA can finally be held to account for the alleged atrocities in the sport.

“That SSA pulled this stunt during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) hardly came as a surprise as the federation has refused to answer numerous questions from Members of Parliament, the media, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), activists and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) assisting the alleged victims of sexual abuse.

“The DA further calls on Minister Mthethwa to obtain the Goldman Report regarding the investigation of sexual abuses at the federation, and to make it available to the committee for scrutiny.

“The DA cannot help but wonder at SSA’s continued silence and refusal to release this report. Given the extremely high and ever increasing statistics of GBV in South Africa, we would assume that SSA would do everything in its power to protect vulnerable swimmers from alleged sexual predators. Their actions alas, disproves this hope.”