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Cricket SA bosses accused of letting CEO Thabang Moroe take all the 'klaps and punches'

Cricket SA president Chris Nenzani and his deputy Beresford Williams should take responsibility for the association's troubles instead of blaming CEO Thabang Moroe, says board member Jack Madiseng.
Cricket SA president Chris Nenzani and his deputy Beresford Williams should take responsibility for the association's troubles instead of blaming CEO Thabang Moroe, says board member Jack Madiseng.
Image: Gallo Images

An explosive e-mail sent to Cricket South Africa (CSA) president Chris Nenzani and his deputy Beresford Williams has accused the two of allowing embattled CEO Thabang Moroe to take all the "klaps and punches" from the media and the public over the last few days.

CSA board member and Central Gauteng Lions president Jack Madiseng took Nenzani and Williams to task, saying the two have sat back and demonstrated a lack of clear and concise leadership while Moroe was being burnt at the public stake.

“Our brand is in a mess and your lack/poor leadership has misled the public to think that we, as the board, have fully empowered the CEO [Moroe] to independently make all decisions, which is wrong,” wrote Madiseng in the e-mail, seen by SowetanLIVE sister publication TimesLIVE.

The letter was sent to Nenzani and Williams, as well as CSA's company secretary Welsh Gwaza.

‘‘Since I joined the board in February 2019, most decisions have been made by the board and implemented by the CEO," wrote Madiseng.

“Based on the above, the poor CEO has been getting all the 'klaps and punches' from the media and the public without the presence of the CSA leadership, which is both of you.”

Nenzani said he had received the e-mail but would not comment on its contents. “I have received the e-mail and I'll be meeting Mr Madiseng when I get to Johannesburg,” he said.

Williams said he had not seen the e-mail because of business commitments. “I haven't read the e-mail. I have been travelling between Cape Town and Johannesburg,” he said.

Moroe could not be reached for comment.

CSA has come under fire on multiple fronts, with one of the latest issues being the resignation of independent board member Professor Shirley Zinn. That followed hot on the heels of the revoking of accreditation for five journalists on Sunday.

The association was summoned to a meeting by sponsors Standard Bank and grilled by the South African Cricketers' Association (Saca) and the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef).

Saca will be meeting on Friday, when the players' union will discuss the possibility of a strike.

Madiseng confirmed that he sent the e-mail on Friday afternoon, but did not want to comment on its contents. “I sent the e-mail to CSA's leadership and I can't discuss the nitty-gritties of the e-mail. I'll wait for them to respond as the leadership,” he said.

In the e-mail, Madiseng highlighted several examples of situations where he said Nenzani and Williams did not provide adequate leadership:

  • The Western Province Cricket Association administration, which was overturned by an arbitrator. Madiseng said the board should have accepted responsibility for the matter and not have Moroe and the executive team taking the “klaps”.
  • The appointment of the director of cricket and convenor of selectors.
  • The suspension of CSA's chief operating officer Naasei Appiah, head of sales and sponsorship Clive Eksteen and acting director of cricket Corrie van Zyl. Madiseng said Nenzani and Williams's silence gave the media and the public the perception that the CEO unilaterally makes all the decisions, when they know the CEO can't act without a mandate from them.
  • Transformation transgressions by the Cape Cobras and the Titans.
  • Restructuring of the domestic system, where again Madiseng said Moroe is taking punches for a decision made by the members council.

Madiseng further said the board must be able to take full accountability for issues that affect the organisation.

“Based on the above statement/challenges, whom do we hold accountable for such own goals? In my humble opinion, I hold ourselves [The Board] accountable and not the CEO and his executive team. If someone had to be fired/dismissed, in all honesty, the 'entire board' should be fired/dissolved for 'rubbishing' the CSA's brand,” he said.

‘‘We need to start separating and adhering to our board charter, which clearly demarcates the responsibilities of the board and the CEO.

"If the CEO was accountable for making all these decisions [mentioned in the e-mail], then I can proudly, without a shadow of a doubt, say: it's time to 'fire/dismiss' the CEO. At the present moment, the people that should be fired should be the board or the president and the vice-president for poor/lack of leadership and lacklustre decision-making.”

CSA will be holding a special board meeting on Saturday at OR Tambo International Airport.


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