Clinton van der Berg’s new book uncovers a doping culture that has spread its tendrils deep into SA sport and society
He attracted Bongani Mwelase, the 2006 Commonwealth Games welterweight champion, as well as another standout amateur, light-heavyweight Tshepang Mohale.
“He’ll grow into it,” Du Plooy assured me, and then he added: “And if he doesn’t I’ll give him steroids.” Luckily I didn’t have to rat out Johnny, who really was a nice guy, even if he was rough around the edges. Mohale won the SA title at two weights, at super-middleweight and light-heavyweight, but he wasn’t a factor at cruiserweight, getting bombed in one round by Zack Mwekassa in 2012. Recently, SA sprint star Akani Simbine and fellow Olympians Gift Leotlela and Clarence Munyai were stripped of their 2021 World Relays gold medal after teammate Thando Dlodlo got pinged for a failed dope test.
Athletics and rugby are two sports with multiple positives, but the really frightening part is the access that schoolkids have to performance-enhancing drugs.