'The IEC will run the elections' - All systems go for CMA AGM & Elections on Saturday

Whatever the outcome of the Comrades Marathon Association Elections on Saturday, the 2024 CMA AGM will be remembered as a watershed moment in the 100-year-old race’s storied history. That’s because after a much publicised court battle, CMA members in good standing residing outside KwaZulu-Natal are eligible to vote for the new board that will govern the Ultimate Human Race. Speaking to the United Athlete’s Forum in an online information session last night, Acting Race Operations Manager Alain Dalais revealed that a total of 948 CMA Members (528 online and 420 in person) are in line to cast their vote to elect seven new board members from a list of fourteen nominees.

"The result of the CMA Special General Meeting on 15 August is that online attendance and voting will be allowed. The online voting system will be administered by an organisation called INCE. They have been thoroughly tested by various corporates as well as the South African Legal Practice Council. The Independent Electoral Commission will run the CMA AGM Elections where seven of the nine board positions are up for elections," explained Dalais.

The highly anticipated CMA AGM will take place on Saturday 30 November 2024. Photo credit: CMA Media.

"There will be a total of fourteen names on the ballot. We started with 21 nominees but seven withdrew. As per CMA Constitution only CMA members that have paid their membership fee by 30 June 2024 are eligible to vote. Each CMA member can vote seven times. The nominees with the seven highest will be elected, where the top five will serve a 2 year term and the two remaining serve a 1 year term."

Among those fourteen nominees who come from a wide spectrum of society including the likes of former Comrades gold medalist and New York Marathon champion Willie Mtolo, uTata Madiba’s former bodyguard Rory Steyn and former Costa CFO and Inzalo EMS CEO Busani Ndlovu, are two women. Current board member Pat Freeman who has completed 31 Comrades Marathon races and worked closely with the Comrades charities, as well as Brenda Marolen. Should she be elected, the Urithi AC founder from Gauteng's West Rand would make history by becoming the first women from outside KZN to serve on the Comrades Board. Should she be elected, the 56-year-old who brings 30 years of HR and Finance corporate experience as well as 12 years of sweat serving athletics in Central Gauteng, says she will use her platform to advance the cause of the destitute.

Marolen at the finish of the 2024 Comrades Marathon. She was a member of the Race Operations Committee. Photo Credit: Supplied.

"Sometimes you meet a runner who'll tell you that they ran their first Comrades in 2008 but have’t got their Green Number yet. That’s because they rely on others to help them with the registration costs. It means they can’t run every year. I know the CMA have introduced an indigent programme where those that qualify only have to pay half of the entry fee, but 50% of R1200 is still R600. I'm just hopeful that if I make it to the board we'll have likeminded board members who will look into these matters and see how we can benefit disadvantaged runners."

Marolen is a member of a nine member group of nominees including Alan Gray, Carel Nolte, Grahame Gertsch, Les Burnard, Mark Leathers, Mqondisi Ngcobo, Steyn and Mtolo, known as the Comrades Collective. Emphasizing competence over demographics and nominated by the Comrades legends such as Bruce Fordyce and Cheryl Winn, they argue that the board must stay out of the day to day running of the race. 

Some members of the outgoing board such as Celi Makhoba (extreme left) have decided not to run for re-election, while for chairperson and vice chairperson Mnqondisi Ngcobo and Les Burnard (right) have been nominated for re-election. Having been added to the CMA Board at the bgeinnign of this year, Nontuthuko Mashimane (third from left) remains on the board as her position is not up for election. Photo Credit: CMA Media.

"My interest is simply - alongside the rest of the Comrades Collective - is to serve runners and the Comrades community at large. My role would be to help restore integrity and professionalism to the Comrades board and a board is not there to run the organisation. The members of the board are there to guide, support, challenge, to influence the executive and put the strategy in place but not to run the organisation," said Carel Nolte who has a history of Comrades fundraising and is the Chief Marketing Officer at EasyEquities. The CMA AGM kicks off at 10am on Saturday 30 November.