Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa has instructed Cricket South Africa (CSA) to comply with interventions made by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc).
Last month, the Olympic committee requested that the cricket body’s board step aside for a set period amid the crisis engulfing the organisation.
Critical times for Cricket South Africa
CSA will hold a crunch meeting on Saturday in the wake of the instruction by the minister, who also threatened intervention from his office should the matter not be resolved.
The organisation also has a date in Parliament, where they will face up to the Portfolio on Sports, Arts and Culture.
This is after much-documented turmoil at CSA, which has resulted in several dismissals and resignations from top-ranking officials.
In the wake of the intervention by Sascoc, the cricket body said it would seek legal advice before plotting a way forward.
Now with possible government intervention, CSA faces the threat of suspension from the International Cricket Council (ICC), which as a strict anti-political interference policy.
Sascoc has written to Mthethwa’s office to request assistance in the matter.
“It has become abundantly clear that CSA‚ which has resources at its disposal‚ will not readily cooperate with Sascoc. It is inevitable that a dispute will be declared between Sascoc and CSA‚ which will result in protracted and expensive litigation‚ which resources that Sascoc doesn’t possess to pursue legal proceedings against CSA‚” said Sascoc’s acting chief executive officer Ravi Govender.
Ravi Govender
The Olympic body has also iterated to the ICC that it is not planning to take over South African cricket.
“Cricket belongs to its Members and the Sascoc resolution does not disturb that arrangement. What the resolution requires is for the CSA Board and those senior CSA executives who serve it on an ex officio basis to step aside in order to facilitate the work of the task team,” an e-mail signed by acting president Aleck Skhosana said.
