Basketball South Africa (BSA) have suspended and dismissed 13 players from the senior men’s national team because they did not agree to pay for their own medical insurance should they be injured in the Four Nations Challenge currently underway in Johannesburg.
I have written to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation, Honourable Beauty Dlulane, to summon BSA for an urgent parliamentary hearing on this callous treatment of a national sports team.
I have also written to the CEO of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), Mr. Tubby Reddy, to institute an investigation into the mismanagement of Basketball South Africa and its victimisation of key players of the national team.
This follows the suspension and dismissal of 13 players who were initially called up to represent South Africa in the Four Nations Challenge currently underway in Johannesburg.
As is common practice ahead of a tournament, players and BSA engaged in a series of negotiations about contracts and financial incentives for the players. BSA offered the players a financial package of R4000 for the camp, R2000 for reaching the final and R2000 for winning the tournament. The contracts did not include medical insurance.
The players insisted on the inclusion of a clause stipulating that BSA will be financially liable in the event that the players sustain injuries during the tournament.
BSA initially agreed to this but after several rounds of negotiations failed to insert this clause in the final contracts offered to the players.
The players rightfully refused to sign the contracts which would have exposed them to unnecessary financial risks. Subsequent to this, BSA suspended the players and called up a new second string squad who went on to lose all their matches in the Four Nations Cup.
The risk of injury is a serious threat to the career of professional athletes. Their federations should at all times cover this. It is common practice in other sporting codes.
It is totally unacceptable that the leadership of BSA bullies and victimises players who are fighting for professional treatment by the federation.
The DA will pursue every avenue to protect the rights of our professional athletes from abuse by selfish sports administrators.
Solomon Malatsi
Shadow Minister of Sport and Recreation