Dear chess community of South Africa,
Aware of its responsibility for promoting the development of chess in South Africa, as well as the disastrous consequences of further delays in determining the permanent management of the federation, FIDE decided to hold elections for the leadership of Chess SA under its auspices on the following conditions:
1. Elections will be held on November 25, 2023. The exact location of the elections and the time will be announced later.
2. To resolve all issues, the Election Commission is approved in the following composition:
- FIDE Vice President Mr. Olalekan Emmanuel Adeyemi (the Reverse Delegate for South Africa Chess Federation) – Chairman;
- FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission Chairman Mr. Francois Strydom;
- FIDE Continental Advisor Mr. Benard Wanjala;
- FIDE Legal Director Mr. Aleksandr Martynov;
- SASCOC's nominee (to be announced in due course).
3. All electoral matters including final decision about candidates and delegates admissibility will be subject of the Electoral Commission decision. All issues are resolved by the vote of a simple majority of the commission members, with equality, the chairman's vote is decisive.
4. Delegates applying to represent a particular province in the elections must submit an application to the Electoral Commission no later than October 23, 2023.
5. Candidates submitting their candidacies must submit their applications no later than November 7, 2023.
6. The final decision on the approval of the submitted applications remains with the Election Commission.
7. Any delegate and candidate confirms in writing that they agree with the powers of the Election Commission, accepts any of its decisions as final and not subject to challenge in any courts or other jurisdictional bodies.
8. FIDE confirms that the duly elected officials will be officially recognized by FIDE as the legitimate representatives of Chess SA and that FIDE shall continue to recognise Chess SA as the national federation member of FIDE for South Africa.
9. FIDE calls on SASCOC to officially confirm that the duly elected officials will be recognized by SASCOC and that SASCOC’s suspension of Chess SA as SASCOC member will be lifted.
10. Any member of the chess family (as described in the FIDE Disciplinary and Ethics Code) who tries to obstruct the activities of the Electoral Commission on the organization and conduct of elections by applying to courts or other jurisdictional bodies other than the sports branch of the courts (applying to FIDE in accordance with the established procedure and further to CAS) or make him/herself guilty of a violation of the FIDE Disciplinary and Ethics Code and/or Articles 7 and 9 mutatis mutandis of the FIDE Electoral Rules) will be responsible according to the FIDE Disciplinary and Ethics Code of Ethics.
A report against any such person will be filed with the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission immediately.
11. Further directives concerning the election will be issued by the Electoral Commission in due course, including making available the required nomination forms and furnishing the contact e-mail addresses of the Electoral Commission.
12. FIDE counts on the constructive co-operation of all role-players in South African chess.
