Minister of Sport Nathi Mthethwa says he is left with no option but to take urgent and drastic action against Cricket South Africa.
Mthethwa announced this past Sunday that he will invoke section 13(5) of the National Sports Act after the CSA members’ council voted against the amendment of the memorandum of incorporation over the weekend.
Ultimately, it means Cricket South Africa will not be recognised as a national federation anymore by the Department of Sport. As a result, the Proteas won’t be recognised as the national team of South Africa, while funding from government to the already cash-strapped organisation will cease.
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‘The leadership [of CSA] have missed many opportunities,’ Mthethwa said in an interview with SABC on Monday.
‘We do not have any other choice but to look squarely in the eyes what we have as government, because we are a sovereign state. I have interacted with the ICC before and they understood where we are and what we are doing, because the ICC itself is running according to the very same principles we are raising with Cricket South Africa. It is a good path for good corporate governance. They have thrown the gauntlet at us and we are accepting it.’
Six out of the 14 provincial presidents on the members’ council voted on Saturday not to adopt the prescribed changes as recommended by the Nicholson report from 2012.
The amendment would have paved the way for a majority independent board, led by an independent chairperson, to be established. Despite nine out of those 14 unions voting for the idea a week earlier, the motion failed and the CSA interim board’s responsibility to implement the mandate from the minister didn’t succeed.
‘I can’t explain it outside of parochial interest of people who are handbound to have what they want as individuals, regardless of what the country wants or what the country is. The entire population wants transformation, wants to see cricket well run, wants to see good governance in cricket.
‘We have shouted from the rooftops, we have spoken softly, quietly with them, we have done everything. A week ago the very same members’ council agreed that this is the way to go,’ Mthethwa added.
