CSA interim board reject Gwaza s suspension ’
The majority of the Cricket South Africa (CSA) interim board members have rejected the suspension of company secretary Welsh Gwaza and the increasingly divided body wants strong action to be taken against those who authorised his suspension.
TimesLIVE reported on Wednesday that some members of the CSA board faced accusations from their colleagues of improper conduct and failing to exercise due process in relation to the way Gwaza was suspended on Monday.
It emerged yesterday there had been no board resolution to suspend Gwaza or to terminate the contract of two service providers.
Gwaza was suspended on full pay on Tuesday for unspecified misconduct.
His disciplinary hearing is scheduled be held on December 14.
The board also delivered a notice of breach of contract to human resources services provider People Link (Pty) Ltd and terminated the services of PR Worx CC with immediate effect on Tuesday.
In a statement confirming Gwaza ’ s suspension and the termination of the service providers ’ contracts, the board said the developments were part of its investigation arising from the Fundudzi forensic report into allegations of poor corporate governance and maladministration at CSA.
There was a standoff among members of the board over Gwaza ’ s suspension with the majority questioning the legality of the process and describing the actions of those whom they said had unlawfully authorised the suspension as gross misconduct that could not go unpunished.
TimesLIVE has established from impeccable sources that the interim board met at the weekend and a motion to suspend Gwaza‚ or any other member of staff‚ was rejected outright.
Instead ‚ a resolution to appoint an administrator was passed.
But CSA interim board chair and retired judge of the Constitutional Court Zak Yacoob ‚ along with fellow members Haroon Lorgat and
Judith February‚ on the advice of a newly appointed Cape Town-based law firm decided to issue the suspension and disciplinary notices against Gwaza.
February ‚ who speaks on behalf of the CSA interim board‚ said the questions TimesLIVE put to her were not worthy of a response when she was asked to produce a copy of the resolution to suspend Gwaza.
“The only thing I can say is that we are aware of your source of information.
“It is obvious from your line of questioning‚” February said.
“The only thing to be said is that the informant is peddling lies and misinformation.”
Some board members chose to formally register a complaint to CSA’s members’ council, its highest-decision-making body, over the conduct of some of their colleagues‚ including Yacoob.
TimesLIVE can also reveal that Gwaza’s company laptop was confiscated‚ without board approval.
Acting head of the member’s council‚ Rihan Richards said: “The members’ council will not be making comments on this matter at this stage.”
Sport minister Nathi Mthethwa said: “This is an independent board and it has been given a mandate and space to do its work.
“Once it has completed its work ‚ it will give a report to the minister. ”
Mthethwa appointed the nine-member interim board on October 30 to restore public and stakeholder confidence in the administration of the game.