After Phakisa’s administration came under fire last month for its failure to have a board of directors to run the track, a new board has been appointed by the Free State MEC for Sport, Webster Mfebe.
After Phakisa’s administration came under fire last month for its failure to have a board of directors to run the track, a new board has been appointed by the Free State MEC for Sport, Webster Mfebe.
The appointment of the board brings to an end the period since 2000 where the Phakisa Major Sport Events and Development Corporation has been operating without a board.
Earlier this month, CARtoday.com reported that the Free State province had lost close to half a billion rand over five years for a return of just R7,7 million. This led the provincial government’s Public Accounts Committee to launch an investigation into the finances of the Raceway and its former CEO, Bobby Hartslief.
With no board, as required by law, the legality of all contracts, salaries and deals with the management of Phakisa Raceway since 2000 is in question.
In a media statement, the auditor-general of the Free State, Ben van Niekerk, claimed that the events at Phakisa were in “all likelihood illegal”. Previously, there had been no authorisation for the allocation of funds to honour the circuit’s rental contract and pay tariffs, but the new Board this week approved the expenditures. This ruled out any possibility that racing at Phakisa could continue “illegally”, based on a technicality, a spokesman for the Board said.
Mfebe has appointed Beef Molefe as chairperson and Ian Auret as deputy-chairperson of the board.
The other members of the board are: David Tsoene, Marinda du Plooy, Matlhogonolo Maboe-Phike, Tebogo Valtuin, Jerry Segwaba and Steve Mathibe.
At its first meeting on Wednesday, the new Board appointed Estie du Toit as acting CEO with immediate effect until further notice, following the resignation of Bobby Hartslief, the former CEO of the Corporation.
