When the new South Africa came to the fore in 1994, athletics stood in a very powerful position as the sport that was at the fore of change via its road running structure.
Mick and Cheryl Winn at the helm of road running handed books and a structure over in a more than healthy state. Road running structures throughout the country were powerful and enjoyed a status of growth and development. Athletes of the calibre of Matthews Temane, Xolilie Yawa, Willie Mtolo, Mark Plaatjies, Zithulele Sinque, Elana Meyer, Colleen De Reuck and numerous others had produced times during isolation that had followers believing that the sport would move forward in an manner that would only spell success.
Straight into Barcelona of 92 and Meyer captures silver, bring on Atlanta 96 and Josia Thugwane takes Gold in the Marathon with 800m specialist; Hezekiel Sepeng, taking Silver.
The shrewd Bernard Rose had put himself into a prime financial position by negotiating all the new corporate sponsorship of the companies who were falling over themselves to get a slice of the action.
The politically elected new officials of the new body called ASA (Athletics South Africa) had removed 'amateur' from the old SAAAU (South African Amateur Athletic Union) name and now commanded salaries for their positions, which kept them in line with the big structures of the rest of the world. This was a corporate structure now.
One thing was lacking though, responsibility. Responsibility for failure in a corporate environment.
Failure is not something that other organisations worldwide have not experienced, both the UK and the USA have had their failures. But one thing that differs is that they rectified the problem, got rid of persons who were not either developing the sport in the correct way or benefitting the sport.
However, South Africa is on a downward spiral where for the year 2007 ASA will declare a loss of R1 million. It is not the amount of the money but more where the money has been spent.
Sadly it is becoming an African thing, something which is best ignored and maybe with time it will go away.
All rather sad for a country which has so much going for it.
