Barry Hendricks: Government has no power to suspend a federation

His comments come after Parliament’s portfolio committee recommended that minister Gayton McKenzie should dissolve the board of Athletics South Africa over alleged governance issues within the federation.

However, Hendricks explained that, while government can decide whether or not to recognise a federation, it does not have the legal power to suspend it.

"There is a lengthy process, and we don’t just shut down federations. Most importantly, athletes must not suffer because of what happens in the boardroom,”  told the national broadcaster in an exclusive interview.

READ: SASCOC awaits crucial government funding as pressure mounts

He emphasised that this responsibility lies solely with SASCOC as the country’s Olympic governing body, and they would first need to investigate and confirm any misconduct before making a final decision.

“We met with ASA representatives, and they presented a report to us. We asked them to go back and review certain aspects,” he said.

"ASA needs trustworthy and confident leadership going forward."

One of the key recommendations is for ASA to appoint a permanent and credible CEO as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, World Athletics has written to SASCOC, warning against government interference in the federation.