Being involved in netball my whole live at top level:
- SA Schools Player
- Protea Player (Silver medal at the 1995 World Cup)

- International Umpire
- International Assessor and Mentor (ITP)
makes me one of a few who have done all this in their lifetime. Not getting paid for any of this – not like the second largest sport in SA (rugby) who makes a living out of their passion.
Now in the past week my ITP status has been withdrawn by WN on the request of NSA.
After our SA Senior Tournament last year December all the mentors and graders in SA were part of a zoom with the President. In that zoom our expertise to grade umpires were questioned. Even one of our top graders felt extremely humiliated.
In February I reached a point where if I decided to resign as Director of Umpires, even though being selected unchallenged for the next 4 years.
Our 3 ITPs also had a zoom with WN (before I resigned) who said if we won’t be asked for events in SA we can still be involved internationally.
In SA we have 3 ITPs who work internationally and also with the elite level umpires who officiate the TNL. I, Janet Edeling and Marielouw van der Merwe.
Because I am not the Director anymore, we applied to NSA to be involved with the TNL and SA tournaments. We got no response and thus decided to send a letter to the International and ITID umpires in SA (saying: We will not be involved in SA for the foreseeable future, but we will still be involved with WN.) BUT in the meantime, we will still assist where possible. Knowing that we are hopeful for a response from NSA. Especially with the World Cup a few months away we need to prepare our umpires who might be asked to officiate there and also the Proteas.
NSA took this one sentence (someone forwarded it to NSA) – send an email directly to WN (not contacting us at all) stating that NSA have spent a lot of money to get us to this point and that we can’t be involved internationally if we don’t work in SA. We have to say that we are sorry, and we must show remorse for this action.
But we have asked to be involved?? We were still actively involved in our districts?? We did the noble thing to say that we will still help even if we don’t get invites for the TNL?? One of our ITPs resigned in this process with WN and SA.
We went on request from WN, to a meeting with the President and the CEO – thinking afterwards that all was resolved. But as soon as I got my invite to attend the Diamond Challenge (busy now) and the Quad Series next January – the whole process was on the table again – NSA going to WN saying I still did not say I am sorry or that I show remorse??
For what? 
I am the most passionate person I know – always available in SA and for Africa.
With me not saying the few words/letters – I got the boot!
Now SA is left with one ITP to solely do the following:
- Screening and testing of INUA umpires (need 2 IPTs)
- Reviewing, assessing and coaching of current IUAs and ITPs
- Coaching and development of both current and potential international umpires
- Supporting newly appointed members of ITP (we have none) and assisting with the accreditation pathway of ITP cadets towards possible future ITP appointments
- Participating in Regional netball events and TNL to identity talent.
- Assisting in the Legacy programme for the World Cup 2023.
All this expertise lost before the World Cup in 2023 – also our next ITP might be in 5-6 years’ time, because you must be a former IUA, and you can’t be an ITP while you are actively umpiring.
