Sport Committee refutes allegations of seeking sponsorship from SASCOC
The Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation has refuted allegations that its Chairperson, Ms Beauty Dlulane, has requested a sponsorship from SASCOC to attend the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
In response to the allegations in City Press on Sunday 1 May 2016, the Committee wishes to place it on record that no requests had been made to SASCOC for sponsorship of any kind nor has the committee’s Chairperson, Ms Dlulane, made any overtures to SASCOC or its President, Mr Gideon Sam, for a sponsorship to cover costs of committee members to Rio.
As is the normal practice, the Committee met with SASCOC on 23 February 2016 at one of its scheduled committee meetings. During the course of the deliberations attended by members of parliament of various political parties, including members of opposition parties, it was in fact SASCOC that had raised the possibility of inviting members, funds permitting, to attend the Games.
In her response, the Chairperson of the Committee, Ms Dlulane, stated that stringent parliamentary budget cuts and the busy schedule of members during the forthcoming local government elections would make it difficult for members to attend the Olympics.
During the discussions, SASCOC had indicated that the organisation would be able to take three Committee members to the Games and not a single member of the Committee present at that meeting objected nor opposed this offer by SASCOC. In her closing remarks at the meeting, Ms Dlulane indicated that the Committee will process the invitation through its normal channels if received and that ultimately Parliament will decide whether to accept the invitation or not.
At no stage after that meeting did the Committee or the Chairperson in her personal capacity, ask SASCOC for an invitation for members to attend the Games. Records will show that the SASCOC President Gideon Sam extended an invitation to three members of the Committee on 22 April 2016 (two months after the February committee meeting) to the Games.
Parliamentary staff, in line with standard procedure relating to all invitations sent to committees, wrote to SASCOC to request the breakdown of the financial implications of the trip which was provided. Such information is required when committees seek permission from Parliament for travel or oversight visits.
It is only after such invitations have been deliberated on at the committee and a decision arrived at that the request for permission to attend an event is put through the parliamentary processes.
It is a matter of public record that the Committee receives invitations from many sporting organisations as well as the Department of Sport and Recreation to attend various events. Dependent on the availability of funds and the parliamentary programme, the Committee would consider such invitations which are processed in a transparent and open manner.
All members of the Committee, which include members of opposition parties, have previously attended such events to which the Committee had been invited. It is the nature of the committee’s oversight role that attending sports events do occur from time to time.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Faith Kwaza
Tel: 021 403 8062
Cell: 081 3770686
E-mail: fkwaza@parliament.gov.za
