NATIONAL NEWS & SOUNDCLIP - Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula says his decision to revoke the privileges of some sporting federations over their failure to meet transformation targets will not affect the country’s ability to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Mbalula announced yesterday that SA Rugby, Athletics South Africa, Netball SA and Cricket South Africa have had their rights to host international tournaments revoked for failing to transform adequately.

He said the decision to implement punitive measures should come as no surprise as the federations themselves agreed to the terms of an eminent persons group on transformation.

Questions have been raised about the impact the decision will have on the Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Durban.

But Mbalula says he believes federations would have done better by then.

“It will not affect the Commonwealth Games because that’s a multi-coded affair and it affects most of the federations and in particular under the auspices of Sascoc."

He says, “Here, we’re talking the question of transformation in relation to all federations. By 2022 these federations will actually have achieved a lot.”

After missing out to Japan on the right to host the 2019 Rugby World Cup, SA Rugby will privately feel particularly aggrieved at the position taken by the minister.