Failure to produce Goldman report leaves victims open to further abuse

22 August 2021

The DA has submitted an appeal to our Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application in order to obtain the Goldman Report into allegations of sexual abuse at Swim South Africa (SSA).

The Goldman Report sheds light on the SSA-commissioned investigation into allegations that swim coaches at the federation are sexually abusing swimmers, some of them minors.

The truth is that sexual misconduct seems to have been swept under the carpet at SSA for a long time. The federation seems more intent on protecting its reputation and protecting the vile predators than it does the mental and physical well-being of its swimmers.

Under Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007 it is an offence to fail to report knowledge of the sexual abuse of minors to the South African Police Service (SAPS), but this seems to be the case where SSA officials have not only continued to violate the trust of their swimmers and so placed them in harms’ way, but have also broken the law by failing to open cases against the alleged abusers at the federation. If SSA has indeed followed the letter of the law, the DA challenges SSA president Alan Fritz to provide the evidence that they have done so.

The DA will continue to fight to protect all our athletes for all the sports codes, and our fight to protect swimmers at SSA will not end with a deemed refusal to our PAIA application. Athletes in South Africa have immense obstacles to overcome, and worry about whether they’re safe when at practice should not be one of them.

SSA and the other sporting federations only exist to develop athletes. Protecting them so they reach the top tiers of their respective sports should be the core mandate. It is shocking that SSA seemingly continues to fail at this at every corner.

Issued by Veronica van Dyk, Deputy Shadow Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, 22 August 2021