On a Saturday the day before the 2012 Paralympics ended, we were told that there would be a function to celebrate the South African team at a venue on the South Bank in London.
The sports minister would be there, the deputy minister would be there, people from the high commission would be there, the board members of Sascoc would be there, the athletes would be there and they would like it very much if we would be there.
And so we went. And so we waited. The sports minister was nowhere to be seen. And so I stopped waiting and left.
I headed across the Thames to an Australian pub to watch the Springboks play the Wallabies. They lost. I called a colleague and asked if the minister had arrived.
Yes, said the colleague. And, coincidentally, he arrived just after the Test had finished. He was smiling a lot.
The minister was in full flow, fire and glory and thanking the Paralympians for, er, ‘walking tall’. He then announced the Paralympian medallists would receive the same amount in bonuses as the Olympic medallists.
Those in the Sascoc board seats winced and grimaced. Where would the money come from? Gideon Sam said they would find it.
“My chief executive officer, Mr Tubby Reddy and the DG of Sport Mr Alex Moemi back in South Africa, will find the money somewhere,” said Sam in a statement just before they left London. “And again, we will plan better and better ahead of 2016.”
They would start the planning for 2016 when they got home. They needed to sort out the channels so athletes would win more medals in Rio.
“Deputy Minister Mr Gert Oosthuizen agreed with Sam. We have to find more resources in a challenging time but simply throwing money at it doesn’t help,” continued the statement.
On Tuesday, they threw money at the athletes who won. Those who lost, who didn’t bring home a medal, well, you know, South Africa can’t just throw money at the problem.
Like, say, the Lotto throwing R70-million at the problem Sascoc had when their coffers were a little iffy before the Games. It was good news for the athletes, said Sam, but also for the Sascoc officials.
“We were beginning to panic, let me now reveal the truth - and I am happy now that we can go to Rio, there was a doubt as to whether any of these board members would be going to Rio.” Great news.
What would the Games be without board members there?
Money for sports is easy come, easy go for some. “Today when I woke up I was so happy - I decided to increase (the prize money)” said Mbalula on Tuesday. “Razzmatazz Mr Christmas is here.”
Just one question: Where was all this money hiding for the last four years when the athletes needed it to prepare? It’s a lot too late for others. - The Star