By Razeen Gutta
Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) acting chairperson Jeff Minnaar believes cyberbullies could destroy the famous race.
After ongoing controversy over corruption and fraud, five members of the CMA board, including the chairperson and vice-chairperson, have stepped down.
Minnaar, appointed as the acting chairperson until the CMA’s AGM in November, says the resignations of other board members are mainly due to cyberbullying from “bloggers and podcasters”.
“The CMA believes that everyone has the right to feel safe and respected online,” Minnaar said at a media briefing on Monday.
“We would like to ensure that some of the perpetrators of cyberbullying, harassment and defamation are held accountable, and we urge everyone to join us in this fight against such heinous behaviour.”
Minnaar said the CMA would take legal action against the perpetrators and added that the marathon’s future is uncertain due to members creating divisions within the association.
“To address this pressing issue, we are considering taking legal action against the perpetrators of these acts.
“A lot has been said about the CMA board, and bear in mind that all those people do it on a voluntary basis. But unfortunately, within our board and our membership, we have people who are passing on confidential information to outsiders.
“If those people want to destroy this race, they must just continue doing what they’re doing now in the media, and this race is not going to see the end of the century.”
Pictured above: A Comrades medal.
Source: @odealthegreat
