06/07/2026
URGENT: OUR ATHLETES ARE BEING SIDELINED BY SYSTEMIC NEGLIGENCE
Our Mpumalanga boxers are at risk of missing the SANABO Youth and Elite Championships, effectively ending their dreams of qualifying for the South African team to compete at the AUSC Region 5 Youth Games in Mozambique this December.
We have exhausted all administrative avenues, but the Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation (DCSR) has failed our athletes through gross mismanagement and a lack of transparency.
THE TIMELINE OF FAILURE:
• 11 Nov 2025: MBO submitted our comprehensive concept document to the MSCF and Mr. Ngoma at the DCSR, ensuring adequate time for budget planning for 2026.
• 25 May 2026: Nicole Fraser, on behalf of the MBO Transitional Committee, initiated formal communication with Keke Mofokeng of the DCSR to clarify submission procedures and re-submitted the team list via email.
• 4 June 2026: We formally submitted our initial team list of 33 delegates, requesting essential support for transport, accommodation, and meals.
• Late June 2026: After a month of silence, the DCSR claimed they were "out of budget," citing an unsubstantiated transport quote of R500,000—more than R18,000 per person.
• Negotiation Period: In good faith, we reduced our team from 33 to 22, and finally to 15, to meet their "budgetary constraints." The department still refuses to disclose their actual budget, despite reports of a R300 million provincial allocation for Sports, Arts, and Culture.
• Current Status (6 July 2026): Mr. Ngoma is now refusing to take our calls. With no confirmed arrangements from the DCSR, our team faces the immediate loss of their competitive future.
The MBO Transitional Committee has been forced to allow team members to self-fund their travel to Cape Town just to keep their Olympic and international dreams alive. We have seen this "out of budget" narrative before, only to discover funds were under-utilized and clawed back by the Treasury in previous years.
How are we supposed to produce medalists when our own department actively obstructs our path? Our athletes deserve better than this administrative sabotage. We are fighting this at the highest level.
Lance Gibson
MBO Transitional Member
0786330999