AGM on the agenda after sports minister Mthethwa appoints crack CSA interim board

With his crack nine-member interim Cricket South Africa (CSA) board appointed‚ sports‚ arts and culture minister Nathi Mthethwa says the group’s first target will be the board’s decisions.

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

Mthethwa‚ who has faith in the group chaired by retired justice Zak Yacoob‚ said it doesn’t look like the AGM will go ahead.

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

“This team is going to look into everything‚ including the decisions taken by the board that resigned. In all practicalities‚ there’s no way the said date would remain as the AGM’s date‚” Mthethwa said.

“We have to deal with 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 bound by decisions that won’t be in the best interests of cricket.

"They must ensure our objective of clean corporative governance is met. The criticism we’ve had 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 about 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 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 from presidency at the SA Cricketers' Association.

Mthethwa was of the 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 has the recommendations implemented‚” Mthethwa said.

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

“I agree with the International Cricket Council CEO, who responded to me that there must be a way of collaboration between government and cricket in SA. This process is the product of this collaboration.”