THE fight between Olympic silver medalist Sunette Viljoen and Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula has heated up.
Daily Sun has learned the javelin thrower yesterday over WhatsApp demanded the R70 000 promised to her by Mbalula.
The two were trending on Twitter yesterday after Viljoen made a number of accusations against the minister.
In August she tweeted that she hoped to see the money promised to medalists within a year but it seemed athletes needed to beg. She also called for Sascoc to be investigated.
She took to Twitter again yesterday, writing: “This is how you are treated for winning an Olympic medal. What a total disgrace.”
Mbalula responded to her, writing: “You said you don’t need it, so I stick with your wishes.”
The DA shadow minister of sport, Solly Malatsi, responded by saying it was totally unacceptable for Cabinet ministers to mistreat athletes for inquiring when their bonuses would be paid.
Mbalula said: “Viljoen heard that most athletes were paid on Friday. I told Sascoc not to pay her because she told me she doesn’t need the money.
“People like Caster Semenya and Wayde van Niekerk came to collect their bonus money but she declined. The event was on Morning Live and she didn’t pitch.”
R70 000 might be small change for a minister, but it is not if you have to rely on nothing but overseas competitions to make a living.
— Sunette Viljoen (@Sunette_Viljoen) November 7, 2016