Cricket SA admit to failing to eradicate racial discrimination in the Proteas national team

Cricket South Africa (CSA) have admitted they failed as an organisation to eradicate racial discrimination within the Proteas national team over the years.

“We‚ as the national federation‚ accept that as much as we agitated for redress‚ and transformation‚ we were not successful in eradicating the creation of some players in favoured positions pushing black players into the margins and not providing fairness and justice for all‚” CSA said in a statement from the interim board on Tuesday.

CSA acknowledged this as the organisation announced that it’s newly appointed transformation ombudsperson‚ advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza‚ is ready to receive submissions.

The submissions must be made via e-mail and post before the end of April.

“The Cricket South Africa transformation committee as mandated by the board to establish the office of the transformation ombudsman‚ has progressed to a stage where this office can now receive complaints and/or submissions from former players‚ current players‚ coaches‚ administrators‚ and stakeholders‚” reads the statement.

“All parties are invited to make written submissions to the transformation ombudsman.”

Ntsebeza’s appointment as the transformation ombudsperson was announced in August last year but the project was put on hold by the interim board shortly after they were appointed by sports minister Nathi Mthethwa in October.

After a back and forth‚ the interim board revisited the project and officially launched it last week. CSA said Ntsebeza’s tenure will be for a six-month period.

The respected Ntsebeza‚ who said he was looking forward to the hearings during his first interaction with the media last week‚ was given a mandate to manage an independent complaints system that will look at the healing‚ restoration and uniting process of cricket players and fans‚ starting with former players.

Among his tasks will be to convene a national imbizo later this year and provide assurance regarding the extent to which transformation programmes impact on cricket and society.

Further responsibilities revealed during the announcement in August last year included the setting up of the restoration fund to deal with opportunities cost due to discrimination.

The other was the implementation of the diversity‚ belonging and inclusivity (Dibs) programme‚ but there was no mention of both points when Ntsebeza was presented to the media last week. The SJN project is a first of its kind in the country and is the brainchild of former CSA independent director Dr Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw‚ who chaired the transformation committee.

CSA sent out a directive to its affiliate members in all the provinces to make their facilities available either for on-site meetings at their respective headquarters or via their Zoom or Teams platforms.

Makhaya Ntini‚ Geoffrey Toyana‚ Monde Zondeki‚ Lance Klusener‚ Gary Kirsten‚ Marcia Letsoalo‚ Shandre Fritz‚ Nolubabalo Ndzundzu and Dinesha Devnarain were announced as ambassadors for the project in August last year.