With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics looming on the horizon, Lwandile Simelane has stepped into the hot seat as acting president of the South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC). Her sudden rise to the top job comes as South African sports administration finds itself in the throes of a deep, multi-federation governance crisis.
Simelane takes charge following a SASCOC board circular confirming the precautionary suspension of president Barry Hendricks. The decision followed an internal investigation led by retired Judge Basheer Waglay into anonymous complaints alleging breaches of SASCOC’s safeguarding policy and Codes Handbook.
While Hendricks’ suspension is a procedural step pending a judicial hearing – echoing his 2020 suspension over election-blocking allegations – it places Simelane at the center of an administrative battlefield.
Crucially, Simelane assumes leadership not as an insider placeholder, but as one of the country’s most formidable sports administrators. The youngest person ever elected first vice-president at SASCOC, she brings nearly two decades of administrative experience to the table. A former South African Hockey Association vice-president, past SASCOC Gender Commission chair, and chef de mission for Team SA at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Simelane holds advanced degrees in politics, governance, and labour law.
