ANC MP Kgabo Kgaolathle told the CEO of the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) that he knew nothing, after Khalid Galant failed to answer a string of basic questions in Parliament.
Galant, who has been CEO since 2008, could not say whether SAIDS had a credit card policy, when it was last reviewed, or how much he earns.
He appeared before the portfolio committee on sport, arts and culture on Tuesday, 6 October.
“Does the entity have a credit card policy?” Kgaolathle asked.
Earlier in the meeting, Galant had said there was one.
“Yes we do. We can provide that to the committee if required,” he said then.
This time, he was less sure.
“Again, we are looking for it. We’re not 100% sure if it’s integrated in the SCM policy, in terms of the actual title, credit card policy,” Galant said.
Kgaolathle asked whose job it was to develop the policy.
“An operational policy is my responsibility,” Galant said.
“When last did you ever interact with a credit card policy?” Kgaolathle asked.
“That’s what we’re trying to determine, because we think it’s part of the SCM policy,” Galant said.
Kgaolathle then lost patience.
“CEO, I’ve asked you almost five questions, and on all of them you seem to know nothing,” he said.
“Basically, you know nothing in relation to the questions that I’m asking you. How much are you earning annually as SAIDS CEO?” said Kgabo.
Galant said he did not know.
“You can look in the annual report. I don’t know the specific number offhand. The remuneration of the entire management team is disclosed in the annual report,” he said.
“I guess you don’t know how much you’re getting paid. It’s fine, CEO,” Kgaolathle said.
Committee chairperson Joe McGluwa stepped in.
“No, you’re supposed to know, CEO. Come on,” McGluwa said.
Galant then asked for help.
“Someone help me with insights. It’s on page 104 of the annual report. The CEO’s salary is R1.6 million,” he said.
Kgaolathle asked about his qualifications.
“I have a master’s in sports medicine, and I am one or two credits short of completing my MBA,” Galant said.
“See, you are an inspiration. So we are dealing with an academic here. We are not dealing with a fly-by-night,” Kgaolathle said.
Kgaolathle also turned on board chairperson Raymond Hack, whose board approved SAIDS’s latest financial statements.
“When approving these annual financial statements that ultimately received a clean audit, were you aware that there was personal expenditure that had passed through the institutional credit card?” he asked.
“The answer to that is no. I was not aware. I had no knowledge of that,” Hack said.
When Hack tried to continue, Kgaolathle cut him off.
“Relax. You are responding to questions here. You are not asking questions. And don’t make statements unnecessarily,” he said.
“Are you aware if the institution has a credit card policy, yes or no?” he asked.
“I’m not aware of that,” Hack said.
Asked whether he had ever looked at SAIDS’s policies, Hack said: “No, I have not. I believe that’s an operational matter. I focus on strategic guidelines of the association.”
“I have not looked at any internal policies,” he added.
“No, let us not be creative,” Kgaolathle said.
“I’m not being creative. I’m answering your question,” Hack replied.
ANC MP Tebogo Letsie rose on a point of order. He said Hack, who had earlier told the committee he was an attorney, should have known his duties.
“As the chairperson, he’s got what we call core fiduciary duties,” Letsie said.
“The department doesn’t really have to teach him the policies of his entity. The duty of care, skill and diligence says that the chairperson must acquaint themselves with the entity’s policy framework,” said Letsie.
“So the chairperson here is literally telling us that he has failed in his fiduciary duties to acquaint himself with these policies that he ought to have known, as a legal person himself,” Letsie continued.
Letsie accused SAIDS officials of avoiding questions.
“We are working with people who are hell-bent on not answering questions,” he said.
“The reason they don’t want to answer is because they know what the follow-up will be. You paid for a baby shower. You paid for Uber Eats. You paid for Uber and whatnot. What has the entity done to hold that particular person accountable for using state resources for personal gain?”
Kgaolathle asked the board to report back to the committee on a plan to review all SAIDS policies.
“That will be done, and it will be attended to,” Hack said.
Hack, a founding member of SAIDS, was appointed board chairperson in December 2025, after Sport Minister Gayton McKenzie dissolved the previous board.
SAIDS has been sent questions.
