Nocsa 'gravy train' offered trips to Sydney

The Sunday Independent is in possession of a fax sent to all National Olympic Committee of South Africa (Nocsa) affiliates inviting either the president or the secretary-general of the relevant federations to a five-day trip to the Sydney Olympics.

According to the fax, the junket included return air-tickets, accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis, tickets to the sport which the federation president's oversee locally and access to the SA Olympic club in Darling harbour. As one member of the SA Olympic movement who didn't take advantage of Nocsa's largesse put it: "Some of them flew business class, some flew economy class and then there were no cheap hotels in Sydney, of that I can assure you."

The fax is unclear on why Nocsa offered affiliates such a trip. There is a school of thought that believes that the trip is "payment" for administrative services rendered, but this neglects the fact that all Nocsa affiliates are given a donation for administration.

One might therefore take the more worldly view that Nocsa elections are scheduled for the Nocsa quadrennial meeting on November 25 and votes for the current incumbents - Sam Ramsamy and Dan Moyo - could well be in short supply, particularly with the fallout from South Africa's indifferent Olympic performance increasing by the day.

It appears that a minimum of 17 federation presidents, secretaries-general or members of the executive were beneficiaries of Nocsa's generosity but this figure is based on the fact that South Africa only participated in 17 of the 28 Olympic summer codes. To a conservative estimate of 17 could be added representatives of 11 other codes (such as basketball, handball and fencing) in which South Africa didn't send teams, three winter sports, the eight presidents of "Nocsa-recognised sports" and seven presidents of Nocsa "associate members".

In some cases two members of certain small federations made the trip east. In the case of SA Cycling Federation, both Gotty Hansen and Sylvia Dale, the president and chief executive respectively, were in Sydney, whereas only four of their cyclists - David George, Robert Hunter, Erika Green and Garen Bloch - participated in the games.

When contacted by The Sunday Independent Hansen was adamant that he was the cycling team manager and therefore present at Sydney in an official capacity - it was Dale who took advantage of Nocsa's offer.

The Nocsa entourage also included high-profile guests and even at a conservative estimate would have swelled the group's numbers still further. Given Ramsamy's recent call for more funding from the corporate sector to increase the standard of performances in Athens, the fact that Nocsa took the number of guests they did to Sydney remains strange to say the least.

Chris Day, the Nocsa spokesperson, was contacted for comment but did not return our calls.