"I must create an enabling environment for stakeholders to promote CGA" - Khanyile new CGA President

Almost twenty years to the day after joining the organisation as a member of the cross country commission, Steven Khanyile is now president of Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA). The principal of the famed Morris Isaacson School in Soweto won yesterday's postponed election to defeat Thokozani Mazibuko, Karabo Mabilo, Mfuneko Boyce Joko and Queen Mofokeng who had also thrown their hat into the ring to lead provincial sports federation. Having lost out to James Moloi in a previous election in 2018, Khanyile's ascent to CGA's highest office means he can now implement his vision to take sports body to the next level.

"I have served athletics for a long time and I am able to see which direction we need to take when it comes to moving ourselves to another level," said the man who was first elected CGA Cross Country Chairperson back in 2004. "I want to focus on development. We must develop our clubs by empowering them. Athletes must be developed at all levels through coaching courses and many other types of meetings and training that we can organise. as well by providing and we must do the same with our coaches and technical officials and our women as well."

The wealth of experience brought by a man who was also part of Athletics South Africa's (ASA) interim board back in 2013 gives comfort to some of the younger board members who were elected at the Germiston Stadium yesterday. Although she lost the presidency to Khanyile, Mabilo is nevertheless upbeat saying she is looking forward to working with the veteran administrator.

"I'm very excited about today and I'm very happy about everything that happened," she said shortly after the poll which was presided over by the Independent Electoral Commission. "I'm very happy that the IEC took over and brought the confidence back to the voters. I think that's one of the most important thing, considering the last event and what happened. I must send out my congratulatory message to the new CGA President. I'm very excited and and I look forward to working hand in hand with him. We are going to see change," she explained.

Although they have served on the CGA Board before, Khanyile and Mabilo's election to the top two positions does represent the change she speaks about because Moloi had been in charge since 2010 supported by his deputy George Lamb for much of that time. It's an opportunity for the reshuffled 10-member board to set a new list of priorities for the next four years.

"I think one of the first things would obviously be to have an engagement with the president. We want to move forward together. He would bring back the confidence in the board and rectify whatever mistakes happened in the campaigning period. Unification of the whole council and the board is imperative. We need to be preaching unity," said Mabilo. And Khanyile agrees saying he sees himself as a mediator whose job it is to create harmony in CGA. "I must also create an enabling environment for stakeholders to promote the CGA brand so that CGA keeps on growing."

NEW CGA BOARD

1. President - Steven Khanyile

2. Deputy President - Karabo Mabilo

3. Athletes Commission - Zongemela Dyubeni

4. Cross Country Commission - Val Brentano

5. Track and field - Maggie Dicks chairperson

6. Road Commission - Colleen McNally

Additional Members

7. Mfuneko Boyce Joko

8. Mbuyiselo Nkuna

9. Thokozani Mazibuko

10. Llale Seema