Death threats, damages claim haunt cricket

Cricket SA (CSA) has been hit with a R3-million damages claim as controversies around the body grow by the day.

Its former travel agency is taking CSA to court as allegations of death threats and a dirty-tricks campaign surrounding the body's forensic audit loom large.

The latest dramas to engulf the organisation include:

• Sandown Travel's contract being cancelled after being accused of feeding information to auditors;
• CSA president Mtutuzeli Nyoka receiving death threats; and
• Officials having begun the search for successors to Nyoka and CEO Gerald Majola.

The Sunday Times has established that Sandown Travel's contract was terminated because they are suspected of providing forensic auditors KPMG with information of the travel habits of executives.

They are also accused of supplying Nyoka with information about Majola's local and international travel, a charge they accept.

"We're hitting them with damages claims and breach-of-contract claims in excess of R3-million," managing director Charlie Newell confirmed.

"I've already been in contact with my attorneys, and we sent a letter to CSA last Friday. We haven't received a reply."

Nyoka, meanwhile, was warned by two separate people on either side of a trip to Hong Kong for an ICC meeting two weeks ago that his life was in danger. He was also warned he could be framed with contraband or illegal substances put into his luggage.

"I was told before the trip to secure my luggage and that of my partner's very carefully. I was also told to reject the overtures of overly friendly, strange women. When I got back from the trip, I was warned - as I was before I left - that my life could be in danger," Nyoka said.

Yesterday he met with the representative of a private security firm, but denied suggestions he was about to hire bodyguards. "The meeting is to advise me on how to take precautions as a private citizen."

Trouble with CSA's travel agent and the dirty-tricks campaign are being played out against a backdrop of increasing jitters at CSA headquarters.

The KPMG forensic audit will release its findings to the CSA board on July 22, and the Sunday Times has learnt that auditors were unable to access certain information, allegedly being stonewalled by CSA officials.

Newell said he had been told by auditors at KPMG that things were "very messy".

However, Ishmael Semenya, the pointsman between CSA and KPMG, said no difficulties from KPMG's side had "been brought to my attention".

Behind the scenes, officials are already looking at finding successors to Nyoka and Majola. The frontrunners are Doc Moosajee, the Proteas' team manager, Oupa Nkagisang, one of the CSA board's black representatives, and Jacques Faul, the CEO of North West Cricket.

Both Moosajee and Nkagi-sang are doing a mini-MBA, at CSA's expense, in executive sports management at London University.

Kass Naidoo, CSA's corporate relations manager, told the Sunday Times she had no knowledge of any change in CSA's contract with Sandown Travel.

Asked about threats to Nyoka's safety, she said CSA viewed any threat to the safety of its officials in a serious light.

"My understanding is that he has not officially approached CSA for any assistance," she said.

KPMG's forensic audit came about in the wake of Nyoka's re-instatement by the high court in April. It ruled that his ousting as president earlier in the year was technically flawed.