Deaf Sport South Africa (DSSA) has accused the South African Deaf Sport Federation (SADSF) of monopolising deaf sports and blocking development funding.
The dispute escalated after the SADSF distanced itself from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Deaf Football Club Championship scheduled to take place in the country in August.
DSSA’s Director of Sport Development, Mosala Makhetha, says if you are not in the governing body’s pockets, then you are automatically an enemy and they label you “a rebellious person.”
“The irony of the matter is that SADSF focuses mostly on school children and their activities are done in collaboration with School Sport programs, leaving young adults idly. Their activities happen mostly once every year and many Deaf people are frustrated and fear being victimised,” says Makhetha.
Makhetha has accused the sports body of writing a negative letter to the Sport, Arts and Culture Department when their club, Cape Town City Deaf FC, requested funding within their provincial structure.
He says SADSF is opposed to the SADC Deaf Football Club Championship.
“While SADSF is entitled to regulate participation within its own internal structures, competitions, and affiliates, it does not possess exclusive authority over all Deaf sporting activity, all Deaf clubs, or all forms of Deaf community sporting initiatives within South Africa, the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and beyond,” Makhetha added.
SADSF REJECTS ALLEGATIONS
SADSF Secretary-General Amos Risimati Mashele has rejected DSSA’s allegation that it seeks to monopolise Deaf sport. He stated that the federation’s mandate is to govern within the country’s official sports framework.
Mashele says the National Sport and Recreation Plan promotes a coordinated sport system with recognised structures operating from club level through to provincial and national level.
He also denied that the federation focuses only on schools, stating their development model incorporates athletes across all age groups, including senior elite competitions and the Deaflympics.
Mashele clarified that the SADSF does not oppose external events, provided they comply with South African laws.
“The hosting of international sporting events is regulated through national policies and regulations, including the Bidding and Hosting of International Sport and Recreational Events Regulations, 2010. Such processes require compliance with prescribed procedures, consultation with relevant authorities and consideration of the recognised structures responsible for the sport concerned. Recognition of organisations is determined through applicable governance, affiliation and recognition processes and is not based solely on SADSF’s discretion.”
SASCOC WEIGHS IN ON FRICTION
The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) says they stand by their member, SADSF.
SASCOC Chief Operating Officer Patience Shikwambana explained that the friction stems from DSSA’s failure to follow official government protocols for hosting international tournaments.
“The reason why there is a friction is that our member is trying to guide you, but if you don’t want to listen, we are going to distance ourselves because anyway you are not even our member.”
Shikwambana says, “Our members, in terms of what they have advised them, they were telling them that for you to host an event and more especially if it’s an international event, it does not matter whether it is in SADC, the mere fact that you are hosting an international event there is due process that even DIRCO has outlined… Our member is trying to help them say it’s a risk for you to do this thing.”
She says no organisation can host an event in the country without the approval of the Sports, Arts and Culture Minister.
“Within the Sports and Recreation Act, there is what we call the South African Safety Regulation and you have to comply to that regulation because it tells you how you need to ensure, when you put together the tournament that you have to host, the issues of safety have to be aligned to that regulation.”
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