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South Africa Water Polo (SAWP) is hoping the suspension of two top Swimming South Africa (SSA) officials will help find a speedy solution to the impasse between the two bodies.
SAWP, which has 2,300 members, was formed last year and claims to control water polo in the country. But to get to major competitions like the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, SAWP needs SSA, which enjoys official recognition by World Aquatics (WA).
WA’s integrity unit (WQIU) this week announced it had provisionally suspended SSA president Alan Fritz and CEO Shaun Adriaanse for “potential violations ... including abuse of power and the provision of false information and fake documents”.
This is the third time in a matter of months that a local federation has come under the scrutiny of its parent body abroad, after athletics, the country’s other big Olympic code, and karate.
The precise nature of the allegations against the SSA duo has not yet been made public, although a source told the Sunday Times they had nothing to do with the stalled high-performance centre project at a Franschhoek high school, which is being investigated by the Special Investigating Unit.
The school was in court this week to have the original agreement with the contractor Train Camp declared invalid.
Wine and dined
Principal Jacobus Haasbroek said in an affidavit that in 2017 the school governing body accepted the unsolicited contract, which didn’t go out to tender, after some members had been wined and dined.
He also described how multiple facilities had been left in disrepair, and he recounted concerns about men residing in a hostel close to female pupils and staff. “The girls had complained about disturbances, including loud music, drunkenness and unapproved visitors.”
He (SSA official) would very much like to engage, take this forward, get water polo back into the fold …
— Robbie Taylorm, SA Water Polo CEO
The application was unopposed. There is confidence within SSA that the project will still be completed.
The WQIU said Adriaanse and Fritz had allegedly committed six code violations, with the CEO facing a seventh claim that he didn’t cooperate fully with AQIU investigations.
The SSA source described the WQIU action as a witch-hunt.
SAWP CEO Robbie Taylor this week said his organisation was due to meet SSA next month in a bid to resolve the deadlock.
One option is for SAWP to become an associate member of SSA, with some guarantees of independence.
No water polo structures
He said SSA had no water polo structures and had to lure SAWP players and officials. SAWP, wanting to keep its negotiating position strong, has responded by suspending those crossing the floor.
SSA’s recent call for a September water polo camp is said to highlight the federation’s scarcity of water polo capital by featuring a note asking people to forward a registration link “to anyone you feel wants to be part of the U20 or Olympic squad”.
Asked if the suspensions of Fritz and Adriaanse might help speed up a resolution to the standoff, Taylor replied: “Very much so.”
Taylor had a positive interaction with an SSA official this week. “He would very much like to engage, take this forward, get water polo back into the fold …
“It seems to be quite a substantial departure from the stalling and deflecting that I’ve been subjected to over the last nine months,” he said, denying an SSA claim that SAWP was stalling talks.
Either way, preparations to try to qualify for LA28 need to begin soon.
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