Athletics South Africa (ASA) has appointed Jean Verster, the federation’s chairperson of Track and Field, as Acting President with immediate effect until the next ASA Council meeting scheduled for 28 November 2026.
The appointment was made at an ASA Board meeting held on 30 October 2026, following a directive issued by Southern African Confederation of Athletics (SACA) President, Zakhele Dlamini, who attended the meeting in his
capacity as the World Athletics (WA) and Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) representative.
Following the brief participation and subsequent voluntary departure of ASA Vice-President John Mathane – who had been serving as the Acting President – from the meeting, Dlamini directed the remaining Board members to appoint
an acting president from among them to provide interim leadership and facilitate the federation’s governance and compliance processes.
The Board unanimously agreed to appoint Jean Verster, who accepted the responsibility.
His appointment will remain in place until the ASA Council meeting on 28 November 2026, when Council, as the federation’s supreme decision-making body, will consider the interim leadership arrangement and determine the way forward.
The appointment forms part of ongoing efforts to address internal governance challenges and advance compliance with the governance directives communicated by World Athletics and CAA in correspondence dated 15 October
2026.
Following the appointment, the Board also resolved to convene a comprehensive strategic planning meeting from 13 to 15 November 2026.
The meeting, with the assistance of Dlamini, will focus on finalising an organisational roadmap to guide ASA’s governance and operational alignment with the requirements of World Athletics and CAA.
The proposed roadmap will be presented to the ASA Council for consideration and formal adoption before being submitted to the international and continental athletics governing bodies.
ASA remains committed to strengthening its governance structures, promoting stability within the federation and ensuring that the interests of South African athletics remain central to the processes currently underway.
Athletics South Africa is the governing body for the sport code of track and field in the Republic of South Africa with a head office in Johannesburg.
