Sharks: we need total transparency on finances
I READ BJ van Zyl’s open letter to the Sharks in The Mercury and the response from Graham Mackenzie, the president of the KZNRU, both dated Friday, June 17, and I still remain uninformed as to the real issues at hand.
The response from Mackenzie does not answer the question posed by Van Zyl with regard to financial instability. Surely at this stage the 2015 financials should have been available for all interested parties to examine?
To simply say that the Sharks, with John Smit in charge, have increased commercial revenue is not good enough – talk is cheap. We need total transparency to ascertain whether the finances are healthy or not, whether we are viable or not. Only a healthy franchise will produce the expected outcome.
As a loyal Sharks supporter I am concerned and disappointed at the performance of the Sharks on and off the field. Perhaps it is time to do the honourable thing and, with “tail tucked firmly between legs”, admit the indiscretions of the recent past. Then, with a firm resolve to “play the game and not the man”, elect Van Zyl as chief executive or even as acting chief executive. With him at the helm a worthy candidate can be selected, installed and groomed without delay – and especially without fear of disappointment.
This will ensure total transparency on all fronts while ensuring new life and longevity in the Sharks along with contented investors and loyal supporters.