New allegations have surfaced against the suspended leadership of Karate SA. Former employees claim that athletes were deceived by inflating the cost of international travel to finance officials' business trips. Furthermore, there are reports of improper management of the federation's income, including funds collected at tournament gates, while the federation declared losses.
These claims were submitted to investigators of the World Karate Federation (WKF) prior to the preliminary suspension of the entire federation's executive committee. The former General Secretary of KSA, Gillian Elson, brought these accusations to the global body. Elson, who left KSA in 2020 and resides abroad, was located by WKF investigators during their inquiry.
Elson stated that her account aligns with concerns previously raised in parliament. Her testimony became one of the factors influencing the fate of the leadership. She expressed satisfaction that the WKF and other bodies had finally stopped the 'outbursts' of Sonny Pillay and his supporters.
Elson reported that Pillay, his son Brando, and a financial officer artificially inflated the costs of athletes' international travel to unsustainable levels, using the excess funds for their own business trips. Moreover, she alleges that athletes from less affluent backgrounds were denied funding to represent the country, despite receiving funds from the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC).
Additionally, federation members faced pressure to join the leadership's preferred style of karate, and those who opposed it were subjected to threats and legal letters. Elson noted that all these issues were repeatedly brought to the attention of the Department of Sport but were ignored.
Other former members also provided similar testimonies. Rob Crawford, who, according to Elson, was once involved in a failed lawsuit by Pillay, also provided information. He reported harassment and libelous letters from Pillay's lawyer after he spoke out. Crawford also mentioned that his Freedom of Information request was ignored, and interference with his international affiliation forced him to leave it.
Relevant data also emerged through official channels. At a hearing before the parliamentary committee on sport, art, and culture, the federation presented an annual report and financial statements, which revealed that money from competitions, registration fees, and ticket sales was not fully reflected in the federation's books, consistent with Elson's claim of skimming cash at the gates.
The suspension by the WKF was announced in late June in a letter signed by President Antonio Espinosa, referencing a report compiled by Guy and Sheriff following their May visit. Although the report was not made public, the letter did not specify any particular accusations against anyone.
Despite the WKF's actions, SASCOC continues to support the suspended leadership. Two letters signed by SASCOC CEO Nozifo Jaftha addressed to Pillay show that the national Olympic body has not withdrawn its recognition. In the first letter, SASCOC confirms that KSA is a recognized national federation in good standing, while noting recent correspondence from the WKF regarding KSA's membership status.
The second letter revealed that SASCOC met with KSA leadership on June 29th at the federation's request, just days after receiving the suspension letter from the WKF. During this meeting, KSA expressed concern about the WKF allegedly violating its own statutes in making the decision. SASCOC advised KSA to use internal processes and remedies provided for in the WKF Statutes and stated its readiness to request a meeting with the global body for further discussion.
The KSA leadership, led by Pillay for over ten years, contested the WKF's decision. The law firm Deneys, representing KSA's interests, objected to the suspension and the appointment of an interim council, arguing that no grounds or evidence had been presented, and that the global body had violated its own statutes. The firm insisted that WKF rules require democratic election of national federation leaders, which contradicts the appointment of an interim council. They demanded the documents underpinning the decision and asserted KSA's right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The interim council, headed by Sean Ahmed as president, with Francois Bornmann, Themba Ndlovu, and Belinda Driscoll as members, and Morgan Moss as technical coordinator, commenced work. The committee stated its commitment to fulfilling the WKF mandate with integrity, transparency, and accountability. It requested the formal handover of all governance, financial, and operational matters from the suspended leadership after the SA Open championship and the Protea awards ceremony, and appealed to SASCOC for an urgent meeting regarding its recognition ahead of upcoming UFAK championships.
