The entire Board was sacked by a unanimous decision at the annual general meeting in Johannesburg and a seven-member interim Board appointed to run the sport for the next six months, after which another meeting would be called and elections held, but Evans claims his non-attendance rules out the move.

He was, in fact, at a Johannesburg High Court, along with vice-president Hendrick Ramaala, to uphold Thursday's (November 28) decision to suspend five members of Provincial Boards.

Evans claimed that he also sent a message to all ASA members warning the meeting would be postponed until the High Court case was concluded.

"Undeterred, and while the High Court matter was being heard, and in the absence of the President and vice-president of ASA, who were at the High Court, certain members of ASA, led by the five provincial affiliates who had forced ASA into court, insisted on the AGM continuing," he said.

"More alarmingly, the 'meeting' then chose to not follow the agenda, but instead considered a motion to remove the board, for which no notice had been given and which was not on the agenda.

"Members of ASA who had not met the requirements for participation at the AGM because they do not have audited financial statements for 2012, were permitted to participate in the charade on 30 November 2013."

James Evans says a meeting at which the entire ASA board was sacked is invalid ©Getty Images


Evans said the High Court matter has been postponed until February 4 next year, when the final decision will be made, and added that the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was due to visit the country in January to address the ongoing issues in the sport, which also saw ASA suspended by the National Olympic Committee earlier this year.

He also warned that this latest move could put South Africa's IAAF membership in jeopardy, particularly as the international federation has to approve an ad hoc committee in advance - which it apparently has not.

"In the meantime the office and board of ASA will do everything within its power to ensure that the sport continues to run and that teams are entered and accepted by the IAAF and the CAA," Evans said.

"No prior approval was given by the IAAF to form such an ad hoc committee.

"Asking for permission after it has been done does not comply with the clause - the IAAF has made that clear before."

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