In July 2024, a group of Free State athletes became aware that Steven Swarts, the President of Athletics Free State (AFS), had recently been convicted of raping a young track and field athlete and was also on the National Register of Sex Offenders. The group of nine athletes, representing their running clubs, filed a motion of no confidence in Swarts’ leadership to AFS and sent a letter of concern to Athletics South Africa (ASA). The AFS9 were summarily suspended by AFS for ‘bringing the organisation into disrepute’ and were completely ignored by ASA.
On 31 January, the AFS9 sent a lawyer’s letter to ASA, upon which they finally acted. A delegation consisting of all the senior ASA officials travelled to Bloemfontein for a meeting with Swarts and the AFS Board on Friday February 21 and then addressed all AFS running clubs the following day. ASA failed to meet directly and engage with the AFS9 to hear their side of the story and instead waited until a meeting with all AFS clubs the following day where they interrogated the AFS9 in an open forum and blamed them for raising issues and “having sour grapes”. At no stage did ASA address the main issue at hand – that a convicted rapist is holding the AFS presidency and is still in close contact with vulnerable young athletes.
Put into even simpler terms, a convicted rapist of a young athlete is being protected by the AFS and ASA Boards to remain in his position and those that have tried to get justice are being victimised.
Swarts is a prominent figure in athletics as he is the stepfather and current coach of Olympic Gold Medallist and 400m World Record holder Wayde van Niekerk. Swarts’ wife also sits on the AFS Board as Track and Field Chairperson.
