Sascoc asks embattled Cricket SA board to step aside from its duties

Cricket South Africa reached it lowest ebb when the embattled organisation’s board was asked by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) to step aside from its duties on Thursday.

In a three-page‚ 10-point letter addressed to the organisation with Sports‚ Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa and Sports portfolio committee chairperson Beauty Dlulane also copied on the document‚ Sascoc cited CSA’s multiple governance lapses‚ the litany of resignations and dismissals alongside their reticence with regards to the releasing of the forensic report that can only be viewed if Member’s Council members sign a Non-Disclosure form.

“Sascoc has attempted to address these issues in two meetings with the CSA Board: one was exploratory‚ and the other failed to take place mainly because of the fact that CSA failed to make the Fundudzi Forensic Report available to the SASCOC Board despite promises and undertakings by CSA to do so‚” the letter said.

“CSA is in receipt of our letter which records that the Board’s decision to make the said report available only on a limited basis to the President and Board members of Sascoc‚ is wholly unreasonable and irrational given the apparent nature and scope of the report.”

Sascoc’s board has also moved to appoint a task team to investigate CSA’s affairs and has been given a month to report back its findings and recommendations to Sascoc’s board and the cricket body's Member’s Council.

The costs of the investigation and the appointment of the task team will also be borne by CSA‚ something that could put further strain on the organisation’s already compromised finances.

Sascoc’s step-in rights are in line with section 13 (4) of the National Sport and Recreation Act 110 of 1998 and articles 11.3.1 and 13.3.12 of the organisations constitution.

Sascoc’s stepping in also means that acting chief executive officer Kugandrie Govender‚ chief financial officer Pholetsi Moseki‚ acting chief operations officer Thami Mthembu and company secretary Welsh Gwaza will step aside on full pay.

However‚ they’ll be required to assist as and when needed by the task team once it’s appointed by Sascoc.

How this intervention will be seen by the International Cricket Council remains to be seen as the organisation has often taken a dim view of government interference in the running of cricket.