Comrades Archives - Page 2 of 8

7th November 20247th November 2024

Constitution Flouted: More Bad Debts on the Way for KZNA?

KZNA’s decision to oppose the High Court interdict securing all CMA members’ participation rights regardless of domicile is likely to cost the organisation around R500,000. The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA), on advice from their internal and external legal counsel, have already withdrawn their opposition unconditionally. In various media interviews, KZNA President Steve Mkasi has yet to provide a coherent reason for their opposition to the democratic process that has been followed at the CMA for 43 years without previous issue.

6th November 20246th November 2024

The Price and the Prize: Comrades 2025 Launch

Whilst the elite athletes would have gone into the Comrades 2025 launch with a Jerry Maguire “Show me the prize money” mindset, the majority of the ultra-running fraternity would have been checking their bank balances ahead of the festive season asking, “Show me the price tag.”

I think the interim CMA Board has missed a trick on both counts.

4th November 20246th November 2024

Time for Mkasi to “Pay Back the Money” to KZNA?

The Hippocratic Oaf

Whilst KZNA President, Steve Mkasi, has criticised a large group of concerned CMA Members from going to court to protect their democratic rights, Mkasi himself has a long history of litigation. However, unlike the CMA Members who were forced into (and were granted) an urgent High Court interdict by the actions of Mkasi and KZNA, Mkasi’s prior court actions were “frivolous and vexatious”. This according to former KZNA President Sello Mokoena. In addition, Mkasi still owes KZNA R386,000 from a 2015 court judgement which has not yet been paid.

30th October 202430th October 2024

The Idiots Guide to the Domicilium Rule (also applicable to KZNA & interim CMA Board members)

KZNA is trying to illegally make CMA membership 'locals only'.

If you’ve been following the current Comrades saga where unelected officials seem hell bent on preventing members of the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) from exercising their democratic rights, you will no doubt have heard reference to the ‘Domicilium Rule’. The ‘Domicilium Rule’ rule is being used as the rationale for the ‘locals only’ decree that KwaZulu Natal Athletics (KZNA) and certain members of the interim (and largely unelected) CMA Boards are pushing.

The ‘Domicilium Rule’ seems to leave interviewers in the media perplexed (which is understandable since they are not experts on the subject) but that similarly KZNA and interim CMA Board members either do not understand the rule themselves or are deceitfully and dishonestly obfuscating its proper application and enforcement should be of grave concern to the running community and public.

28th October 202430th October 2024

Corruption, Maladministration & Incompetence: A Comrades Charge Sheet

Summary: Three weeks ago interim CMA Chair Jeff Minnaar claimed that investigations into allegations of corruption, maladministration and incompetence against certain Board members and staff and were underway. However, key witnesses like former Chair Mqondisi Ngcobo and Race & Operations Manager Ann Ashworth have yet to be contacted. This raises serious questions about the legitimacy of the alleged investigations. The article also provides an unemotional list of the credible allegations against CMA Board members and staff.

One of the outcomes from the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Special General Meeting (SGM) held on 15 August was the passing of a resolution for the appointment of an independent committee to investigate the Community Marshals Portfolio, and to report its findings to the board, which report is to be published to members. Furthermore, it was agreed that the investigation was to be conducted by a retired judge.

23rd October 202423rd October 2024

KZNA Gets Another High Court Smackdown

KwaZulu Natal Athletics, under the presidency of Steve Mkasi, suffered another embarrassing legal defeat today at the Pietermaritzburg High Court after trying to get the urgent interdict allowing non-KZN residents to participate and vote in Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) matters dismissed. In what can be seen as a victory for the democratic process, Acting Justice Khuzwayo ruled in favour of the CMA Members which means that the urgent interdict remains in place and all CMA Members can participate at the forthcoming AGM due to be held on 30 November.

The case between the CMA and KZNA returned to the high court this morning. The CMA Members, represented by attorney Mark Leathers and advocate Cas Pretorious (both of whom are Comrades runners), had originally received an urgent interdict on 14 August to allow non-KZN residents to attend and vote at the Comrades SGM which was held on 15 August.

17th October 202417th October 2024

Comrades 2025 Record Alert (and the Comrades 2024 record that went unnoticed)

Iain Morshead from the Fordyce Fusion team contacted me asking,

“One of our athletes is an outstanding soon to be 70-year-old woman who ran an astonishing 9h08 on the up this year.

We have approached the CMA to establish what the record is, but they have so far, not been able to assist.

Given your insight into Comrades statistics, are you perhaps able to identify the existing women’s 50+ and 70+ records?”

This is exactly the kind of stat that fascinates me so naturally I was happy to oblige*.

23rd September 202423rd September 2024

Cyber Bully to you CMA (and the sad state of journalism)

If a politician were to claim that an election was rigged at a press conference, you would expect them to provide some proof. Should the politician continue along this line of rhetoric but fail to provide any proof they should be treated with disdain, derision and scorn by the media.

Our professionals in the media are no doubt familiar with the law of propaganda attributed to Nazi Joseph Goebbels (although it’s unlikely he ever actually said), “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth”.

At a press conference called by the interim Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Board on 26 August, interim CMA Chairman Jeff Minnaar used the term ‘cyber bullying’ repeatedly and began proceedings by reading a press release entitled, “Comrades Marathon addresses cyber bullying and harassment.”

4th September 20249th September 2024

PRESS RELEASE: CMA ‘supergroup’ to engage with the interim Comrades Board

After a series of legal letters and communiques from a diverse group of concerned Comrades stakeholders (including former winners, CMA Board members and Comrades legends), we are pleased to report two major developments:

1. The interim CMA Board has officially withdrawn its opposition to the High Court case due to be heard on 23 October. The case is a result of the urgent High Court interdict that allowed non-KZN residents to speak and vote at the Special General Meeting (SGM) in August after KZNA issued a ‘locals only’ edict for the first time in the CMA’s 43 year history. This is expected to save Comrades over R1 million.

31st August 202431st August 2024

Zinhle Sokhela still sauntering around Comrades House after ban

Despite being banned for life from being a Board member, Sokhela and her supporters on the Comrades Board appear to be using a loophole to keep her active in the affairs and operations of the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA).

On Thursday 29 August, the Heritage and Traditions Committee met, apparently to deliberate and determine this year’s Spirit of Comrades award winners. Sokhela was previously part of the committee and was in attendance. It is unclear how members of the committee are chosen as Sokhela has never run Comrades and has only been involved with Comrades for a fairly short time.