Athletics South Africa (ASA) has confirmed the suspension of Athletic Free State president, Steven Swarts with immediate effect.

Swarts, stepfather and coach of 400m world record holder, Wayde van Niekerk, also faces a disciplinary enquiry into his conduct that has brought ASA into disrepute.

In 2020, Swarts was convicted of sexually assaulting a female athlete.

The case stems from an incident where Swarts inserted his fingers into a female athlete's vagina while he was giving her a massage in 2018.

He was handed a suspended sentence.

"Despite such conviction, he was nevertheless elected to the position of President of Athletics Free State by the membership, who appeared to have been misled about the gravity of the offence and its outcome," ASA said in a statement issued at the weekend.

It added that when members registered a vote of no confidence against Swarts in line with the ASA Constitution, they were suspended, presumably to stifle their efforts to hold him accountable in terms of the AFS Constitution.

Last month, the ASA board met with the AFS board and members to further understand the matter, as there were those staff still supporting Swarts while others did not want him to hold his position.

"ASA was compelled to suspend Swarts and subject him to a disciplinary enquiry. He has been relieved of all his duties pending the conclusion of the enquiry which will be conducted by ASA's disciplinary committee," the sporting authority said.

In the interim, AFS vice president Leonard Jingose will act in Swarts's position pending the outcome or until elections are held to elect a new president.

"ASA views the matter in a very serious light but is constrained to follow its disciplinary processes as stipulated in its Constitution. Whilst the delay in dealing decisively with the matter is regrettable, ASA was constrained to embark on a consultative process with the various factions amongst the membership of AFS before taking a decision on how best to deal with the matter," ASA said.

seanne.rall@iol.co.za

IOL