A ground breaking Indaba to address Dispute Resolution mechanisms in sport will be held on Saturday, 24 July 2004 at the Ritz Hotel in Sea Point, Cape Town says the Western Cape MEC for Cultural Affairs, Sport and Recreation, Mr Chris Stali.

Top legal brains and experts in handling disputes have been invited to exchange ideas with officials representing various sport federations on how to deal with issues of transformation and disputes.

The Indaba hopes to achieve the following outcomes:

1. To set guidelines for handling disputes
2. To get the buy-in from federations into the process of dispute resolution
3. To set minimum standards for constitutional amendments of federations
4. To form a Western Cape Sport Arbitration Forum responsible for handling all disputes.

MEC Stali who will open the Indaba and set the tone for the workshop says " I am excited by the fact that all disputes in sport will be dealt with in-house eventually".

He says he had noted with regret that some disputes had to go to the court of law unnecessary in the past. He says his department " will provide all the necessary support to the whole process to ensure the successful implementation of the resolutions of the planned workshop". Mr Stali hopes that the birth of the Sport Arbitration for the Province will signal an end to long and often protracted court cases involving sport administration.

Speakers include High Court Judges Deon Van Zyl and Justice Michael Murphy, Adv Alex Abercrombie Craig Arendse and Dan Moyo form SA Sport Council. The Indaba will start at eight o'clock and run till 16h00.

Enquiries:Mandla Yeki
Spokesperson for the MEC of Cultural Affairs, Sport and Recreation
Cell: 082 553 3477