Cricket South Africa have backtracked on their commitment to holding their Annual General Meeting this weekend.
The governing body had been set to appoint several new board members and other key positions, but it has become apparent that the contents of the forensic report into the conduct of former CEO Thabang Moroe may call into question the integrity of several individuals nominated for said positions.
Cricket South Africa further indicated that it needs to take into consideration outstanding matters recommended by the Nicholson Commission of Enquiry, set up in the wake of the payments scandal that brought down then-CEO Gerald Majola.
Fundudzi Forensic Services conducted the probe into the conduct of Moroe with their reportedly 468-page report being the most sought after document in South African cricket administration at the moment.
There has been some suggestion that the board who oversaw CEO Moroe are, at the very least guilty of gross negligence in allowing the chief executive to commit a litany of serious offences.
The findings and recommendations of that report need to be studied and implemented while CSA have admitted the need to backtrack and also take into account the findings of the Nicholson Commission.
Among other suggestions, the Nicholson Commission recommended that the CSA board be staffed by a majority of independent directors to eliminate the conflicts of interest that are rife within the game.
Critical processes at Cricket South Africa
According to a press release, There are certain critical processes at CSA which are underway, and which relate to the following:
- the review of the governance model of CSA on the outstanding matters recommended by the Nicholson Commission of Enquiry in its report; and
- the (a) review and implementation of the findings and recommendations made by Fundudzi Forensic Services Proprietary Limited (Fundudzi) in its report (Forensic Report) following completion of the forensic investigation conducted by Fundudzi into various governance issues within CSA during a period of 48 months from 2016 to 2019, and (b) formulation and adoption of a comprehensive roadmap.
CSA have effectively conceded that their organisation has been and continues to be maladministered and requires serious structural reform.
It has been deemed inappropriate to proceed with the election of a new board while such matters remain outstanding.
According to CSA, these strategic structural matters and remedial actions require various steps to be undertaken, including the following:
- Engagement with the Members Council on the various issues they have raised and ensure alignment for the stability of CSA;
- Engagement with the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, SASCOC and other stakeholders of CSA;
- The extension of the recruitment process for any Board and Board committee vacancies that may arise following completion of the above strategic review;
- A detailed review of CSA’s Transformation strategy that takes account of the launch of the office of the Independent Transformation Ombudsman; and
- The reconfiguration of the organisational structure to ensure that the remedial actions recommended by Fundudzi of the forensic review is implemented.
There have been calls from various sectors of the cricketing fraternity for CSA to be placed under independent administrators in order to complete the necessary structural reform.
Cricket South Africa will announce the new date for the AGM to be held “in due course”.
“In order to allow CSA and its stakeholders an opportunity to fully consider and participate in the finalisation of the matters referred to above, the Board of Directors of CSA and the Members Council have resolved to postpone the AGM, and consequently the AGM will not be held on 5 September 2020. CSA will accordingly announce a new date for the AGM in due course. The notice related to the AGM will be circulated in due course,” their press release reads.
