The outgoing chairman of Two Oceans Marathon Association has accused the body of being resistant to transformation.
|||Cape Town -
The outgoing chairman of the association managing the world-famous Two Oceans Marathon, has accused the body of being white-male dominated and resistant to transformation.
In a report to the Two Oceans Marathon Association’s (Toma) annual general meeting, Solly Moeng, who had chaired the board for a year, also warned that management issues and wasteful expenditure were damaging the association’s functioning. This was despite the fact that the annual marathon – now in its 42nd year – was a huge success, said Moeng.
In the report, he said changes that were needed included transformation of the board and people management practices at the association’s office.
“The [outgoing] board is too white-male dominated – it can therefore not demonstrate the right levels of empathy when handling issues of race,” Moeng read from the report at last week’s meeting.
The 14-member board has only four black members, one of whom is the only female on the board.
Moeng claimed that staff grievances had been ignored and allowed to fester under the association’s general manager, Rowyn James, who has held the position for five years.
He said R165 000 paid to consultants to resolve internal issues and R42 000 spent on a professional coach for James had delivered few results.
Moeng said in the report about R15 million a year was being spent on procurement.
“Toma spends millions of rands per annum; a large part of these amounts come from sponsors. Where either board members or staff have relatives benefiting from Toma business, this has to be properly disclosed.
“Board members whose spouses render paid services have to disclose these relationships and ensure they do not influence their decision-making,” he said.
Moeng said staff needed to be treated with respect and that “the shining example Toma gave the outside world” needed to be shown internally.
At the meeting, representatives from WP Athletics, WP running clubs and Celtic Harriers forwarded the names of people to serve on a new board which will have its first meeting on Monday.
James said an official statement from the board had been prepared and would be sent as soon as members had signed it.
The association’s vice-chairman, Mike Scott, said board members had not seen Moeng’s report beforehand.
“The board had not had sight of it. It will be declared null and void at the first board meeting. A lot of people were very shocked. It is his personal views.
“There are certain aspects that are all valid, but the personal attack on the general manager, and saying board members are protecting him are absolute nonsense,” Scott said.
Asked about transformation at the association, he said: “We attempt as best as we can to recruit people who have skills and are available to sit on the board. It is no use to have people who have no skills to sit on the board.”
Moeng said the marathon had grown from 29 359 runners last year to 32 721 this year. The association has an annual budget of about R50m.
The first Two Oceans race was run in 1970 and had 26 runners. Over the years the event grew and it is now SA’s second biggest marathon, after the Comrades Marathon.
Cape Times