CSA have some explaining to do
CRICKET South Africa will have to tell Parliament’s portfolio committee on sport and recreation precisely why it hasn’t acted on the forensic report about suspended chief executive Thabang Moroe, when the organisation’s leadership meets with it on Friday.
The report remains under lock and key at the embattled organisation, but much more clarity about it, the recommendations contained in the report and how CSA will act on those recommendations will have to be provided to the portfolio committee.
With the exception of one meeting between the Board and Moroe last Thursday, no other measures have been taken regarding the report.
CSA was left reeling on Monday following the resignations of president Chris Nenzani and acting chief executive Jacques Faul. Nenzani had just three weeks of his tenure remaining, while Faul chose not to complete the final month of his contract, having grown deeply frustrated with the organisation’s management.
Beresford Williams was promoted from his position as vice president, to acting president of CSA for the period leading up to the election of a new, full time president at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting on September 5. CSA’s senior executives met yesterday to decide who will take over as acting chief executive.
Questions remain unanswered about the role of company secretary Welsh Gwaza. In a letter sent to the organisation’s commercial partners on Monday morning informing them of Nenzani’s resignation, a paragraph directs those sponsors to “address all communication which would have been meant for the attention of Mr Nenzani, as president of the Members Council and the Chairman of the board of directors, to the office of Company Secretary.” Despite numerous inquiries to CSA’s Communications Chief, Thamie Mthembu, to outline the reasons why the Company Secretary is the contact person for commercial partners, no answers have been forthcoming. Gwaza, appointed by Moroe last year, has seen his influence within the organisation grow in recent months, while the forensic investigation has taken place and more latterly as its findings have not been released.
Meanwhile, CSA’s Director of Cricket Graeme Smith, said he remains focused on his job despite the resignations of the federation’s two senior leaders. “There’s been no discussions as yet with anyone,” Smith said yesterday. He’s been the focus of a lot of fire from ex-players, who have criticised his captaincy, especially the lack of care exhibited for black players. “It’s been tough,” Smith remarked about the condemnation directed at him by former teammates. “But as I said, you want to be able to do something and be part of a process of renewal. I’ll need to get guidance from the company.”
Smith is in Skukuza, where a 32-man high performance squad is holding a four day “culture camp” that started yesterday. “My initial focus is to get this camp up and running, and then it’s onto the IPL and domestic cricket gets underway. I’m staying focused on what I can do in this job, with all that’s going on around me,” he said.
*The South African Women’s team’s tour to England, which had been scheduled for next month, was cancelled yesterday after CSA failed to gain approval from the SA government to allow the squad to travel. CSA had held a training camp for 24 players in preparation for the tour – which the England and Wales Cricket Board was extremely keen to host and for which it was footing the bill – but with international travel still not being allowed out of SA – except in special circumstances – the tour was cancelled.