Compiled by Dylan Bettencourt
- Tatjana Smith’s lawyers say Swimming SA held $35,000 in prize money for over a year and later paid her without the interest.
- The demand asks SSA to pay the interest and show where the money was kept while the federation held it.
Two-time Olympic champion Tatjana Smith has sent Swimming South Africa a letter of demand over interest on prize money she says was withheld for more than a year.
According to Daily Maverick, Smith and her husband Joel instructed Hurter Spies Attorneys to send the demand on 25 August.
The dispute involves $35,000 in prize money Smith earned at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.
She won $20,000 for gold in the 200m breaststroke and $15,000 for silver in the 100m event.
Her lawyers allege SSA held the money for more than a year before eventually paying her during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
They say the payment did not include interest earned while SSA held the money.
The letter alleges SSA operations manager Mafata Modutoane told Joel Smith: “I kept the interest as a management fee.”
The lawyers say they do not know whether he was joking or whether the interest was actually kept.
Modutoane confirmed receiving the letter but declined to discuss the allegations.
“I’ve got my legal team looking at it,” he told Daily Maverick.
The demand asks SSA to pay the interest and provide proof showing where Smith’s prize money was kept.
Her lawyers say they will take the matter further if SSA does not comply within 10 days.
Attorney Wian Spies said the dispute was about more than the money.
He said athletes should not have to wait years to receive prize money they earned.
The fight comes as SSA is already under pressure after president Alan Fritz and CEO Shaun Adriaanse were provisionally suspended over possible integrity code violations.
Those allegations include possible abuse of power and allegedly providing false information and fake documents.
Pictured above: Tatjana Smith with one of her gold medals.
Image source: Tatjana Smith/Instagram
