President Nenzani bans ‘suspended’ CEO Moroe from returning to CSA offices

Cricket South Africa (CSA) president Chris Nenzani has banned suspended chief executive Thabang Moroe from entering the organisation’s premises.

Nenzani instructed management and staff‚ including security that the estranged suspended chief executive is persona non grata at the crisis-hit organisation’s Melrose Estate headquarters‚ CSA insiders with close proximity to the president have informed SowetanLIVE.

“Essentially Thabang is banned from coming anywhere near CSA offices. All the relevant people have been given the instruction and he won’t be allowed access if he reports for duty on Friday‚” said one insider.

Another insider said that Moroe’s stunt left Nenzani visibly enraged.

CSA’s public relations image was dented on Thursday after Moroe arrived at CSA offices to report for duty.

The dramatic events unfolded in full glare of social media with the suspended chief executive photographed outside the CSA offices while waiting to be let in.

He was eventually allowed access and spent much of the day inside the building before leaving in the afternoon as he normally would when not on suspension.

Moroe’s lawyer‚ Michael Motsoeneng Bill‚ told SowetanLIVE that his client is dutybound to report for work again on Friday.

But Moroe will be met with a stop sign. Nenzani chaired a late night emergency board meeting on Thursday that lasted into the early hours of Friday morning and issued out the ban instruction immediately after.

“The Board of Cricket South Africa (CSA) met last night to deliberate on the events which unfolded at the Head Office of CSA today when the suspended Chief Executive Officer‚ Mr. Thabang Moroe‚ purported to report for duty‚” the governing body said in a statement released just after midnight.

“The letter of suspension issued to the Chief Executive Officer explicitly stated that he was suspended until the conclusion of the independent forensic investigation.

“This investigation is not yet complete and therefore the Chief Executive Officer remains suspended and any assertion that his suspension was for a predetermined period is without basis‚” said CSA.

The governing body‚ however‚ did not make any reference to Moroe’s allegations that Nenzani flouted CSA’s disciplinary code during the suspension process.

Motsoeneng Bill said he asked Nenzani to either confirm or deny in writing that he suspended Moroe through a telephone call and extended the suspension with another phone call.

In a dramatic turn of events‚ Moroe has made the assertion that Nenzani allegedly suspended him through a phone call on December 5 last year without a suspension letter.

Moroe accused the CSA president of twice flouting clause 11.2.2 of the disciplinary code.

Moroe said he only received a letter of suspension January 24 and alleges he was not given an opportunity to provide reasons why he should not be suspended‚ as per the organisation’s disciplinary code.

In their statement‚ CSA admitted that they only sent Moroe a formal letter six weeks after Nenzani announced the suspension.

But the organisation made no reference to how president Nenzani allegedly disregarded due processes when he told Moroe‚ allegedly through another phone call in early February‚ that the suspension would be finalised within six months dating back from December 5.

Motsoeneng Bill said that‚ “it is greatly disappointing that CSA has prioritised a media response over affording its own employee the courtesy of a response to various letters sent on his behalf”.

CSA said the forensic investigators have indicated that a report is “imminent” and that the board will study the report and act accordingly.

“The Board wishes to assure all stakeholders and the public that this matter is receiving all the attention it deserves. However‚ the Board is also at pains to ensure that due process is followed at all times‚” the CSA statement read.

“The Board is confident that the investigation is coming to a head and there will be more clarity and certainty provided before the end of June.”

The trust and relationship between CSA and Moroe appears to be broken beyond repair.

Asked to confirm that Moroe is banned from the Cricket SA offices‚ CSA spokesperson Thamie Mthembu told SowetanLIVE to “refer to paragraph two of the Board statement regarding the status of the suspended CEO”.