LEADERSHIP CRISIS: World Aquatics suspends Swimming SA president and CEO amid fraud and abuse-of-power claims

{JSON.stringify(article.attachments[0], null, 2)} --> The president and chief executive officer of Swimming South Africa have been provisionally suspended by World Aquatics’ Integrity Unit.

After years of mismanagement and scandals, Swimming South Africa (SSA) president Alan Fritz and chief executive officer Shaun Adriaanse have been stripped of their powers by the sport’s highest authority.

The Aquatics Integrity Unit (AQIU), the independent disciplinary arm of World Aquatics, announced on 24 August that it has provisionally suspended Fritz and Adriaanse.

The duo have been suspended over “potential violations of the World Aquatics Integrity Code, including abuse of power and the provision of false information and fake documents”.

In addition to being suspended, both men are barred from holding any position at SSA, Africa Aquatics or World Aquatics, and from attending any aquatics event in any capacity, while the Integrity Unit’s proceedings continue.

They have been sanctioned for violating a host of clauses of the Aquatics Integrity Code (listed below).

The AQIU would not give any more information or a timeline on the next steps. It also did not clarify which of the several scandals Swimming SA is involved in are the focus of the suspension.

The unit has said it will make no further comment while the case is ongoing.

Daily Maverick contacted SSA for comment on the provisional suspension, interim leadership arrangements and the nature of the allegations underpinning the AQIU’s decision. However, no response had been received by the time of publication.

However, an internal memo was sent to affiliates on 24 August stating that the executive committee “has become aware and taken note of the World Aquatics press release” announcing the provisional suspension of Fritz and Adriaanse, and is “awaiting further information to be furnished”.

According to the memo, the executive committee would schedule a meeting “within the next two days” to brief affiliates on the status of the matter or “as soon as further information becomes available”.

The executive committee also assured affiliates that it would “continue to manage everything in the best interest of All Our Members and Affiliates” and ensure there was “no disruption to current and future activities”.

Separately, SSA was scheduled to hold a media briefing on 26 August on the launch of its water polo high-performance strategy and 2028 Olympic pathway. While the organisation did not respond to Daily Maverick’s questions about the suspensions, it did notify media that the briefing had been cancelled “due to unforeseen circumstances”, without providing a reason.

But it’s clear from the AQIU statement alleging “abuse of power, the provision of false information and fake documents”, that it all adds up to a serious case of fraud against Fritz and Adriaanse.