Netball South Africa is in a state of crisis a year out from the world championships after the resignation of national coach Marlene Wagner and two executive board members.
The resignations follow a meeting of the National Council at which Wagner, who was not present, was criticised over the team's
performance on its tour of Fiji and New Zealand, reports South Africa's Supersport website.
Vice-president Helene Botha and the director of coaches, Bennie Saayman, both resigned in protest at Wagner not being at the meeting when her performance was being discussed.
Wagner then submitted her resignation without explanation.
South Africa, who are ranked fifth in the world, drew their three-test series against Fiji before suffering a record 69-goal loss to the Silver Ferns.
The results came on the back of their disappointing Commonwealth Games showing where they finished eighth.
It is understood that Wagner's performance was always up for evaluation after the side's trip to New Zealand.
Supersport reported that one of the issues arising from the meeting was that Wagner had not stuck to the five-two racial mix in the last quarter of the first test in Fiji - playing six white players.
All senior netball teams have to comply with the five-two ratio at all times, whether it be five black players and two white or five white and two black. At under-19 level, the ratio is four-three.
But council president Mimi Mthethwa said there had long been concern about the performance of the national team.
"They did not do well at the Commonwealth Games, and they only won one match on the tour of Fiji and New Zealand - and Fiji are ranked below us," Mthethwa told Supersport.
"We tried to give Marlene the support she said she needed. For instance, we appointed a sports scientist to assist the team, but many of the things that have been worrying us for some time have not improved."
Supersport also reported that 11 members of the team had signed a letter of complaint about the coach on the flight back from New Zealand.
The 12th player, Liezel Wium, was not on the flight.
Wagner, a former South African player, was national coach between 1992 and 1999.
