Karabo Mabilo was elected the new president of the Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) on January 24 at Germiston Stadium, ushering in what she described as a new era for a province desperate for stability and progress.
Running on a manifesto centred on unity, transparency, athlete development and good governance, Mabilo pledged to heal the divisions that have plagued the federation and restore confidence among athletes, clubs and key stakeholders.
“I’m going to bring CGA back to its glory days,” she said.
Her first order of business is to boost the organisation’s visibility through a public relations drive.
“I’m going to ensure that, in terms of PR, people see that CGA has good leaders. It’s not limited to the board members elected today, but there’s a cohort of ethical and professional leaders that are going to ensure we map a good way forward.”
The former CGA acting president will be deputised by Lethabo Mashigo. Brakpan resident Maggie Dicks and Val Brentano were re-elected the track and field and cross country commissions’ chairs, while Tiyani Khoza and Cindy Nkomo will chair the athletes and road running commissions.
Alain van Achter, Llale Seema, Queen Mofokeng and Dirk van Zyl were elected the board’s additional members.
Mabilo wasted no time outlining her vision, mapping a fresh direction to reposition the province as a leading force in SA athletics.
“If we have a structure that’s not unified, we will not get results. The fundamental thing I truly believe needs to happen for us as a board is to find ourselves and ensure the message is transferred to council members, constituencies, corporate sponsors and stakeholders.”
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“It’s important to be united and be able to work together. That’s the first thing we will do so that people can believe in this thing we want to deliver.”
She expressed full confidence in her board, saying, “They are a group of people who are passionate about the sport. Everybody here is talented and I’ve seen what they can bring to athletics”.
Mabilo assured athletes that her tenure will prioritise their needs, adding that the federation will work hard to attract corporate sponsors to help accelerate their development goals.
“What I hope this board can implement is ensuring corporate sponsors come back. We have to ensure there’s continuity in our programmes and that companies interested in the sport assist us. We also have to ensure that what we commit to the young athletes has longevity,” said Mabilo.
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