Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa says government has ‘pulled out all the stops’ to ensure the Springboks and Proteas are allowed to fly the national flag and sing the anthem at international events.

That is in response to a looming ban as a result of the failure by government to update South Africa’s anti-doping regulations so that it complies with the latest World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) code.

The revised code, which was agreed upon and accepted by over 700 sporting federations around the world, came into effect in January 2021.

Wada published a statement in September and said the South African government had still not updated its anti-doping code. The agency said a new deadline of October 13 was set, and that consequences will be faced if not met.

Minister responds

Kodwa said in a media briefing this afternoon that the complexity of law changes in the country has added to the woes of complying with the code.

He added that he has asked Parliament to fast-track the policy, and that he is confident Wada will recognise the efforts.

Kodwa explained that ‘unnecessary hysteria and slander of the ANC’ has followed the announcement of possible consequences, and that he feels it is unfair to punish athletes representing the country at events – such as the 2023 rugby and cricket world cups.

The minister said that the flying of the national flag cannot be banned at the moment.

Appeal

The president of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, Barry Hendricks, said that they will work with the department to resolve the matter and appeal the decision by Wada.

Hendricks thanked the minister for his ‘proactive approach to tackle the matter’.

SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport CEO Khalid Galant added that a notice of intent to appeal will be sent to Wada today. He feels the grounds of the appeal are strong.

He explained that the process means that the appeal, which cannot be denied, will be sent to the agency, which will then file the matter with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Galant added that court processes can be avoided if Wada accepts the appeal.

Who is to blame?

Asked by the media who was to blame for the code not being implemented in time, the minister said he could not speculate while an investigation is underway.

The minister added that his department and other stakeholders hope to find a long-term solution and said they remain committed to a drug-free sporting environment.

“The matter is totally out of our hands,” SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said previously. “It is a pity it has happened, but it is an issue for government to resolve. We hope the matter gets resolved before the quarter-finals.”

Watch the briefing: