Netball SA grilled by Parliament over R90 million World Cup funds

Netball South Africa was grilled by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture on Tuesday. The federation, whose president Cecilia Molokwane was suspended by the world governing body this weekend, failed to present its 2023/2024 accounts during today’s meeting.

Netball South Africa and the Netball World Cup Board need to account for R90 million allocated to hosting the tournament in 2023 in Cape Town. But more than two years later, it is still not available.

Linden Barber, who was a member of the Board, says they were in the process of wrapping up the audited financial statements.

“So R60 million of the R90 million was immediately used for floors and the venue cost. The other R30 million was used in the running of the event, and then the full report, the activities up to 2023. Our auditors are now busy finalizing the last 30 million but they included things like the launch, mascot launch, all of those various things because the last 30 million is the actual running of the event but in order for us to gate to the venue, to the event, we first need to get to the event and of course secure the plain costs. Those reports are available, the 2021 and 2022, so we’ve got our financials up to 2023. We just wrapping up with the last part of the year now of the netball world cup in that regard.”