Africa’s only Anti-Doping Lab closed
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday March 9, 2024 07:00
The Regional Anti-Doping Agency (RADO Region V) manager, Andrew Kamanga, informed MmegiSport that the suspension of the South African Doping Control Laboratory for up to six months is a temporary measure aimed at helping the facility rectify deficiencies in its operations as an accredited laboratory.
“Obviously, this adversely affects regional operations as costs of laboratory analysis are increased. We now need to use laboratories in Europe and Qatar,” he said.
Kamanga highlighted the significant costs involved in establishing and operating a WADA-accredited laboratory.
“Just to train personnel on an ongoing basis, procure equipment and maintain that equipment costs around $30 million, (approximately P350 million). That is not a priority for Botswana at the moment, given that operating a laboratory is not exactly a profit-making business,” Kamanga said.
He said Botswana's current priorities, which include investing in urgent sport development needs such as school sport, elite sport development, and facility upgrades, take precedence. “In my opinion, there is need to focus on those sport development priorities such as school sport, elite sport development, upgrade and refurbishment of existing facilities,” he added.
The decision to close the lab follows a recommendation by the WADA Lab Expert Advisory Group (WADA LabEAG) for a six-month suspension based on technical changes required by WADA. In February 2024, WADA received a recommendation from LabEAG to suspend the WADA accreditation of the laboratory due to multiple non-conformities with the international standard for laboratories, including non-conformities with technical documents and the continued analytical testing restrictions (ATR), amongst other issues. In a statement, WADA said the laboratory has accepted the recommendation for suspension, which was approved by the chair of the WADA executive committee.
The process is now complete.
"The suspension, which took effect on March 1, 2024, prohibits the laboratory from carrying out any anti-doping activities, including analyses of urine and blood samples, with the exception of analysis related to the athlete biological passport haematological module," the statement reads in part.
During the suspension period, samples not yet analysed, samples undergoing confirmation procedures, and samples with reported adverse analytical findings must be securely transported to another WADA-accredited laboratory "to ensure continued high-quality sample analysis, which also helps preserve athletes’ confidence in this process and the wider anti-doping system."