Johannesburg, South Africa – The new president of Netball South Africa (NSA), Cecilia Molokwane, is to meet the other members of the new national executive in Pretoria on Thursday to map out plans for netball in the next four years.
Molokwane of Limpopo, a former director of selection in the NSA executive, was elected at the NSA annual general meeting in Ekurhuleni at the weekend. She defeated long-standing NSA President Mimi Mthethwa by 55 votes to 40.
There were several other changes to the national executive. Christine du Preez of Ekurhuleni, was elected vice president. She was replaced as director of selection by Mpumi Javu of Eastern Cape and Annie Kloppers of Cape Winelands was elected the new director of umpires. Anneline Lewies (Gauteng) and Mami Diale (Gauteng North) were re-elected to the positions of director of coaching and director of demarcation respectively.
Blanche de la Guerre remains chief executive of NSA.
The new executive will serve four years.
Molokwane said it was important for the national executive to meet as soon as possible to discuss plans for the future.
“We need to work together and map out our future. I believe netball, as the largest women’s sport in South Africa, can go from strength to strength. I have ideas but we need to work together to put them into practice,” said Molokwane.
She said netball had been her passion since childhood.
“I live, eat and breathe netball,” she said.
“I have been involved in all aspects of the game, as a player, as a coach and as an administrator. I have been assistant coach of the national team, and head coach of the Under 20 team, and I also served on the national executive as director of selection.
“I am very excited about the future and I appeal to everyone in netball in South Africa to work together. By doing so, we will be able to take netball to the next level.”
Molokwane thanked Mthethwa for her many years of service to the game.
Mthethwa served as NSA President from 2005 until 2017, using her vast network of political and business contacts to the benefit of netball. The Eminent Persons Group (EPG) – the watchdog over transformation in sport – became her passion and she worked with all NSA provinces, districts and members to ensure that its recommendations were implemented. During her Presidency, Mthethwa was instrumental in the launching of the Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League which is the third biggest netball league in the world and has contributed largely to the improvement of netball performance at the top level. Mthethwa also negotiated for former Australian World Cup winning coach Norma Plummer and her assistant Nicole Cusack to coach the SPAR Proteas which has had huge impact on the improvement of the team who are now contenders for a top three world ranking position. Mthethwa, who won the SRSA Sport Administrators’ award, was also a member of African Netball and of Sascoc.
The outgoing President congratulated Molokwane on her selection as new President and said she would remain involved in netball in her home province of KwaZulu Natal.
