WADA has announced that it has suspended the accreditation of Africa's only accredited anti-doping laboratory from 1 March, due to "multiple non-compliances" to meet international standards. In a statement, WADA said it had suspended the accreditation of the South African Anti-Doping Laboratory in Bloemfontein for up to six months.

The Bloemfontein laboratory had already been placed under some restrictions in September last year, while other anti-doping activities were allowed to continue.

However, WADA said that experts had advised the agency to suspend the facility's accreditation due to "multiple non-conformities with the International Standard for Laboratories". WADA said the Bloemfontein laboratory had accepted the suspension, which came into effect on 1 March. 

"The suspension ... prohibits the laboratory from conducting any anti-doping activities, including the analysis of urine and blood samples, with the exception of analyses related to the haematology module of the Athlete Biological Passport," WADA said in a statement.

WADA said the laboratory will be allowed to apply for reinstatement once it has demonstrated that all identified "non-conformities" have been addressed.

As a result, testing must be conducted at another accredited laboratory during the suspension period. Samples awaiting analysis, samples undergoing confirmation procedures, and any samples for which an Adverse Analytical Finding has been reported must be sent to another WADA-accredited laboratory for analysis. 

"This is to ensure the continued high quality of sample analysis, which will also help to maintain athletes' confidence in the process and the anti-doping system as a whole," WADA concluded.

This sanction comes at a time when WADA is implementing the Athlete Engagement and Anti-Doping Legacy programmes at the 2023 African Games to promote clean sport during the 2023 African Games in Accra, Ghana. WADA will have its Athlete Engagement and Major Event Legacy (MEAL) teams present at the Games, which will be held from 8 to 23 March 2024.

The 13th edition of the Games will see over 5,000 athletes from around 50 countries compete in 30 sports. Before the start of the African Games, the African Union Commission (AUC), with the support of WADA, will host a high-level forum on anti-doping in sport on 7 March 2024.

The Forum will be attended by African Ministers of Sport and other senior government officials, leaders of the African sports movement, Regional Anti-Doping Organisations (RADOs), National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) and other clean sport stakeholders. The event will serve as a consultation and information exchange, as well as an opportunity to network and develop anti-doping policies across the continent.

Rodney Swigelaar, Director of WADA's Africa Office, said: "The Anti-Doping Forum to be held during the African Games promises to be powerful. It is important to assess and discuss anti-doping issues and to consider African solutions to doping problems in an African context. The workshop will provide another opportunity to promote the work to develop the capacity of anti-doping programmes."

"The Athlete Engagement Team, led by African athletes, will have the important task of interacting with athletes and their support staff throughout the event. The MEAL programme will play a role in connecting with anti-doping professionals and strengthening the capacity of anti-doping organisations in the region." The team includes athletes such as Ganzi Semu Mugala (Uganda), Ngon Ntama (Cameroon), Khotso Mokoena (South Africa) and Nathalie Bashala (Democratic Republic of Congo).

The MEAL programme aims to provide quality support to the various stakeholders involved in the delivery of the Games' anti-doping programme. It focuses on supporting the development of anti-doping programmes by Major Event Organizations and other key stakeholders, while promoting clean sport in regions of the world where anti-doping activities are limited, such as Africa.

Specific actions include: supporting the training of local DCOs (16 DCOs, 20 chaperones, 23 coaches); supporting the participation of 15 international DCOs and other experts from the continent to increase knowledge in the region and build bridges for future editions of the Games; strengthening the structures and operations of the African Union Commission as a new signatory to the WADA Code; and providing an in-country advisory team to support the implementation of the anti-doping programme.