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We like to blame the government.

But, in truth, it’s really the bureaucracy of things that could mess things up for South Africa at the Rugby World Cup and the Cricket World Cup.

As the Daily Maverick reports, South Africa has less than 10 days to comply with the World Anti-Doping Code or the Springboks and Proteas will be unable to fly the country’s flag at their respective World Cups.

Suppose our government doesn’t pull it together to meet the deadline (13 October) for amending the outdated drug-free sports act – allowing us to comply with the latest World Anti-Doping Code (Wada) that came into force in 2021 –  then the Springboks will be forced to play under a neutral flag, sans the national anthem, at the Rugby World Cup 2023 quarterfinal next week.

Wada’s revised anti-doping code, which is a global policy that is agreed upon and adopted by both the sports movement and governments from around the world, came into effect on 1 January 2021. The new code has been accepted by more than 700 sporting bodies and federations already, except South Africa, nogal.

Wada informed the government of this non-compliance with the code in September, stating that there would be consequences (the first of which is no flag or anthem), but it seems only now that those consequences are in effect, everyone is raising their heads and paying attention.

Plus, the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids) had warned the government and federations of the consequences of non-compliance a year ago.

This is an embarrassing situation, to say the least.

The reason SA is non-compliant is down to syntax, it seems, and not with any issues around drug testing in sports. Sport Minister Zizi Kodwa said in a statement “It is disappointing that South Africa has been found to be non-compliant despite this undertaking to pass legislation which meets the World Anti-Doping Code”:

“I would like to reassure athletes, sports federations, and the sports public that the non-compliance finding will not affect drug testing in South African sport. Saids will continue to deliver services that protect clean sport in South Africa

“The South African Government process for promulgating legislation is thorough and comprehensive. Any legislation, including amendments, must meet the muster of the South African Constitution and cannot contradict or nullify any existing laws.

The Minister said he had requested to urgently meet with Wada President Witold Bańka on South Africa’s position:

“South Africa is committed to anti-doping in sport. Saids has done much work to meet the evolving dynamics of compliance in global sport on matters of anti-doping, anti-corruption, governance reforms, child safeguarding and data protection.

“The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture will continue to expend all efforts get the Amendment Bill adopted expeditiously.”

The work Saids is doing is all in order, but the amendments need to satisfy the pedantic nature of legal documents:

“The overwhelming majority of the noncompliant findings by Wada of our current act are along the lines of ‘the definition must be updated to reflect the exact wording in the Wada Code’, or some definition or term in the Act is obsolete and no longer used,” Saids chief executive Khalid Galant told Daily Maverick.

“So the noncompliance pertains to the text and has no bearing on the operational ability or jurisdictional mandate of Saids.”

This is a lengthy process as any changes to the Act of Parliament require that all federations and Sascoc approve changes.

Shame, let’s hope our government moves fast on this one, or the Springboks and Proteas will be red in the cheeks before their respective games even start.

[source:dailymaverick]