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AGM on the agenda after Sports Minister Mthethwa appoints crack CSA interim board

Minister Nathi Mthethwa with CEO of Blue Bulls Rugby Company Edgar Rathbone, President of Rugby Union Willem Strauss and Blue Bulls players during the National Recreation Day at Loftus Versfeld Rugby Stadium on October 02, 2020 in Pretoria, South Africa.
Minister Nathi Mthethwa with CEO of Blue Bulls Rugby Company Edgar Rathbone, President of Rugby Union Willem Strauss and Blue Bulls players during the National Recreation Day at Loftus Versfeld Rugby Stadium on October 02, 2020 in Pretoria, South Africa.
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

With his crack nine-member interim Cricket South Africa board appointed‚ Sports‚ Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa said the group’s first target will be the board’s decisions.

In the initial three-month period that the interim board will be in place‚ one of the decisions that has to be made is with regards to the annual general meeting that was set for December 5.

Mthethwa‚ who has faith in the group that is chaired by retired Justice Zak Yacoob‚ said it doesn’t look like the AGM‚ which was supposed to take place on September 5‚ will go ahead.

The other members of the board are Haroon Lorgat‚ Judith February‚ Omphile Ramela‚ Xolani Vonya‚ Dr Stavros Nicolaou‚ Professor Andre Odendaal‚ Nkeke Catherine Mampuru and Andile Dawn Mbatha.

“This team is going to look into everything‚ including the decisions that have been taken by the board that resigned. If they think that within the period they have where they get into a position where the AGM sits‚ it will happen. In all practicalities‚ there’s no way that the said date would remain as the AGM’s date‚” Mthethwa said.

“We have to deal with these problems and their root causes‚ which could have been avoided had people listened and did what was needed of them. This board isn’t going to have any holy cows and won‘t be binded by some decisions that won’t be in the best interests of cricket.

"They must ensure that our objective of clean corporative governance is met. The criticism we’ve had and levelled against the former board with regards to the lack of decisiveness and leadership where the centre wasn’t holding must be a thing of the past.”

Mthethwa has always taken umbrage with the discreet nature of the Fundudzi-authored Forensic Report that has been at the heart of CSA’s troubles.

The interim board will be reporting to the member’s council‚ but the rules of engagement with regards to the conflicts of interests that could arise have been made clear. Vonya is the only former member of the member’s council who is serving on the interim structure.

He’s recently resigned from his position as Eastern Cricket Union president‚ thereby precluding him from serving on the member’s council while Ramela will have to step down presidency at the South African Cricketer’s Association.

Mthethwa was of the strong view that the report‚ which he’s seen and has been handed over to the parliamentary sports portfolio committee‚ holds the key to CSA’s improvement as an organisation.

“Let me take the Fundudzi report for example. This thing of having a report that’s a secret document must come to an end. It must be a document that’s understood‚ scrutinised and have the recommendations implemented‚” Mthethwa said.

"There must also be a liberty to look at the report itself critically so that everything can be dealt with.

“I agree with the ICC CEO who responded to me that there must be a way of collaboration between government and cricket in South Africa. This process is the product of this collaboration.”