Comrades Marathon Association Archives

1st December 20241st December 2024

CMA 2024 AGM: Wrap Up

The 2024 Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) got off to a slow start. The meeting was due to start at 10:00 and at 10:04 interim CMA Chair Jeff Minnaar got proceedings underway. After giving some special welcomes, he thanked CMA members for sacrificing their Black Friday weekend shopping excursions and promised they’d be able to get their discounted shopping fix around 12 noon. This seemed like an unlikely and overly optimistic estimate – and we had not even got to the first motion on the agenda by 12:30. Any doubts as to the validity of Minnaar’s estimation were further exacerbated with the announcement that the AGM would be delayed “for at least 15 minutes as there is a major traffic jam in Pietermaritzburg.”

Interim CMA Chair Jeff Minnaar during the CMA AGM.

30th November 20241st December 2024

CMA 2024 AGM: Live Blog

This page will be used to provide live updates on the voting, motions and discussions from the 2024 Comrades Marathon Association Annual General Meeting due to start at 10am SAST. Refresh page for latest updates…

That’s over an out after an almost 8 hour AGM. I’ll write up a summary tomorrow.

Top five get two year terms, next two get a one year term. This is a great new Board!

Here’s the final results

Mark Leathers 278

Willie Mtolo 254

Mqondisi Ngcobo 240

Brenda Marolen 240

Carel Nolte 228

Rory Steyn 222

Alan Gray 207

27th November 202427th November 2024

What’s on the agenda? CMA AGM on 30 November

Whilst most of the focus has been on the nominees for the seven available Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Board position at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), there are some other important motions to be discussed and voted for at the 30 November meeting.

FINAL NOTICE AND AGENDA – CMA AGM 2024 Download

Below are details of the CMA constitutional amendment motions, standard motions and consideration for the financial statements.

25th November 202425th November 2024

14 Names, 7 Positions: CMA Board elections on 30 November

The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held on 30 November promises to be a watershed in the renaissance of the event that has been mired in controversies resulting from a string of illogical and inexplicable decisions in recent years and is still reeling from well-founded allegations of corruption, maladministration and ineptitude amongst certain staff and Board members.

Seven of the nine elected Board positions are up for election. Both Board incumbents who were standing for re-election have been withdrawn from the ballot: Sweetname Nkibande because he was not eligible as he is not a member in good standing and Celi Makhoba for reasons unknown. Therefore it will be a CMA Board with a very different composition for the 2025 event.

21st November 202421st November 2024

How James Jimmied the Comrades Books

Overview: In a recent article, I provided well substantiated evidence about how Rowyn James facilitated highly irregular “Management Fee” payments to finish line volunteer Chris Lombard (who was also the seconder on James’ CMA Board nomination form). This follow-on article provides details of exactly how the allegedly fraudulent payments were done and how finish line casual labourers were exploited.

After allegations of fraudulent payments surfaced, Rowyn James had a conversation with former Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Vice Chair and current Head of the Finance Committee, Les Burnard. In the conversation, James attempted to provide an explanation for the irregular “Management Fee” payments to volunteer Chris Lombard.

James claimed that the payments to Lombard were ‘approved by the Board in 2018’. This was categorically denied by Cheryl Winn, the CMA Chairperson at the time. Board and Finance Committee minutes from 2018 have been checked and there is no record of any approval to pay Lombard. There is also no one I have spoken to within the CMA leadership structures who recalls any discussion about paying Lombard.

11th November 202421st November 2024

Systemic Corruption at Comrades: Former Manager made Irregular Payments & Assaulted Comrades Legend

After Rowyn James was announced as one of the 21 nominees for the 7 vacant Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Board positions, I received a tip off that, during his time as the Comrades Race Manager, James had made “secret” payments. The payments were made to Chris Lombard, a volunteer who was the finish line convenor, and were not sanctioned. Furthermore, Lombard was the seconder on James’ CMA Board nomination form.

The source provided me with the names of 4 senior staff and stakeholders with whom I could verify that the illicit payments occurred. Three have confirmed that an irregular and unsanctioned 5-figure “Management Fee” was paid annually to Lombard. The fourth has read my messages but has not replied. One of the sources did explain that the payment would ‘need to have been signed off’ but could not explain the ‘serious irregularity’ of a volunteer being paid.

8th November 202421st November 2024

Comrades Board nominees: A light at the end of the tunnel?

After all the controversy surrounding Board level corruption, maladministration and incompetence, the announced list of Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Board nominees was eagerly anticipated.

The good news is that there is plenty of choice with 21 nominees for the 7 available Board positions including plenty of fresh blood amongst a handful of the usual suspects. I have grouped the nominees into three categories and provided some context below.

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.

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.