CGA investigating cost of race entry fees as Athlete's Commission warns non-compliant clubs

Zongamele Dyubeni has sent a stern warning to clubs who refuse to participate in the process governing athletics in Central Gauteng but complain about day-to-day issues that affect their athletes. The Chairperson of Central Gauteng Athletics’ Athlete’s Commission was speaking on Saturday during an information session at the regional federation’s headquarters at the Germiston Stadium. Of the roughly 275 registered clubs in CGA, less then 30 were in attendance to hear important information about issues facing both social and top runners. Dyubeni says this is not on.

“We are tired of elite athletes saying I couldn’t attend because I have a long run,” said a visibly frustrated Dyubeni who represents athletes on the CGA Board which was elected in March. “You don’t want to sacrifice one Sunday? The top runners are not here because they wait for this meeting to be over and then they call behind the corners to say such and such a marathon hasn’t paid us. So the effectiveness of the commission is a huge problem that we are trying to sort out. An athlete’s commission is a very important structure.”

Dyubeni who was supported by long serving Track and Field Commission Chairperson Maggie Dicks, warned that attendance at such meeting was important and non-compliant clubs have been deregistered in the past. And it wasn’t just the elite athlete issues that Dyubeni as he had to contend with as he fielded a barrage of questions from social clubs some of whom wanted to know what he was doing about the skyrocketing cost of race entry fees.

“CGA is trying hard, very hard. What you need to understand is that there are things we have no control over. We don’t have control on how the clubs should structure their entry fees. We’ve brought those issues to previous council meetings where race organisers were there. These are the issues that we address at board level. That is why we have invited the chairpersons of all the other commissions like road running and track and field to answer whatever might be going in their direction,” he explained.

And it was the road running commission that came to Dyubeni’s rescue on the issue of the cost of entry fees. Attending the meeting on behalf of the commission and represented the commission’s chairperson Colleen McNally who is battling illness in hospital, Deputy Chairperson Hloni Motloung explained that race organisers are complaining about the high cost of road closures which The City of Joburg and The City of Ekurhuleni in particular are charging. Motloung revealed that CGA is talking to local government about these fees.

“We as a Road Running Commission have asked the President (Steven Khanyile) and General Manager (Mandla Radebe) to engage with the two cities because some races were even cancelled because the clubs couldn’t afford the cost of road closures being charged by the Metro Police,” said Motloung.