Question NW3489 to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
27 October 2022 - NW3489
Joseph, Mr D to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
(1). Whether Bodybuilding South Africa (BBSA) paid the fine of R300 000 issued by SA Institute for Drug-Free Sports in 2018; if not, what steps were taken against BBSA; if so, on what date was it paid. (2). what action and/or recommendations were taken by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee and his department to stop BBSA from repeated doping offences. (3). what (a) is the anti-doping record for BBSA during the 2021-22 financial year and (b) were the results?
Reply:
- No, Body Building South Africa (BBSA) has not paid the fine. South African Institute for Drug-Free Sports has sent the federation Letters of Demand provided for the debt owed to it in our Annual Financials. BBSA responded with lawyer’s letters despite being informed that the SA Anti- Doping Regulations (2021) and the World Anti- Doping Code (2021) do not provide recourse for a national federation to dispute the fine.
- The South African Sport Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) has not indicated what actions they have taken to stop BBSA from repeated doping offenses. Section 17(A) that deals with Punitive Measures and specifically Subsection (1) of The South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport Amendment Act; the Department on written recommendations of SASCOC, may cause an investigation to be conducted as it deems fit to ascertain whether the federations comply with the provisions of the Act. The Department is still awaiting written recommendations from SASCOC.
- (a) As disclosed in the SAIDS 2021/22 Annual Report, eleven (11) tests were conducted at the National Bodybuilding Championships. (b) Ten (10) tests returned positive for various anabolic steroids. The names of the athletes and the substances are disclosed, as is required by the World Anti-Doping Code, in the Annual Report.