The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo is appalled by the revelations contained in the long-delayed investigation report into the shameful treatment of Limpopo athletes during the 2025 National School Sport Championships Athletics (NSSC) held in Bloemfontein from 2-5 April.
This report, attached to the reply to a DA Parliamentary Question, exposes deep-rooted corruption, dereliction of duty, and gross mismanagement within the Limpopo Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC).
After receiving complaints from concerned athletes and parents, a media statement was released on 9 April 2025 by the DA. Shortly thereafter, on 11 April 2025, Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba publicly apologised for the incident and promised that a full investigation would be concluded within one month. As the report was not forthcoming, the DA has continuously pressed the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Jerry Maseko, to release the report.
The report dated 15 August 2025 exposes a litany of failures and misconduct, including:
· Contradicting statements, elements of dishonesty and a lack of proper oversight by senior project officials.
· Dereliction of duty, with senior managers failing to attend the national event.
· Elements of extortion and probable corruption, where officials allegedly collected money from suppliers to secure services, a practice said to have been ongoing for years.
· Officials intoxicated and absent from the stadium during the sports events.
· Fraudulent backdating of documents, indicating possible corruption and cover-ups.
The investigation recommended disciplinary action against multiple senior and junior officials, including some in top management positions within the department and further proposed:
· The Department open a criminal case with SAPS regarding extortion and corruption
· A total of R312 473.58 be recovered from implicated officials and service providers and LIMSA team members
· A full audit of Sport and Recreation programmes for the past two years be conducted
· The current Limpopo Schools Athletics (LIMSA) Committee be disbanded, as its term expired in 2024
· Non-performing service providers be blacklisted on the National Treasury database
· The Department delivers all missing sporting attire to affected athletes.
The DA demands that MEC Jerry Maseko immediately:
1. Table the full investigation report and its implementation plan before the Portfolio Committee;
2. Confirm whether any disciplinary action has been instituted
3. Confirm whether any criminal action has been initiated
4. Disclose whether any funds have been recovered
5. Ensure that no official implicated in this report continues to hold authority over Limpopo’s young athletes.
This scandal is more than a failure of logistics, it is an exposé of systemic corruption, negligence, and indifference within the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. The same officials entrusted to nurture Limpopo’s young athletes have instead betrayed them for personal enrichment.
The DA will now continue to fight for full transparency, disciplinary action, and criminal prosecution where necessary. The Premier and the MEC must ensure that justice is served, not quietly, but publicly, and without political protection. Limpopo’s youth deserve better than broken promises and bus seats for beds.