NGO takes Cricket SA to court for David Teeger captaincy saga

Non-govermental organisation Citizens for Integrity (CFI) has taken Cricket South Africa to court over its decision to strip David Teeger of the captaincy of the under-19 team before this year’s junior World Cup.

The papers were submitted to Cricket South Africa (CSA) on July 4.

CFI asserts that CSA removed Teeger as captain last October and cited erroneous security threats, and in doing so violated Teeger’s constitutional rights. 

“CFI don’t believe there should be political interference in sport….especially for whatever side of the conflict you’re on, a conflict that isn’t going on on our continent,” said Daniel Witz, the attorney acting on behalf of CFI. 

Witz said that while Teeger is a respondent, his family was not involved in the legal action. 

“Mr Teeger was cleared of any wrongdoing by an internal inquiry by CSA (chaired) by a senior counsel after all evidence was heard. Despite that, CSA come along and say there is a security threat, strip him of the captaincy, but still play him in the team.

“So what difference would this alleged security threat have made whether he is captain or playing? He’s still on the team,” said Witz.

Teeger had been subject to an inquiry by CSA after proclaiming his support for the soldiers of the Israeli Defence Force, at the Jewish Achiever Awards last October where he was the recipient of the “Rising Star Award”.

“I’ve been awarded this award, and yes, I am now the rising star, but the true rising stars are the young soldiers in Israel,” Teeger said at the function. 

CSA named a provisional squad for the Under-19 World Cup two weeks later, with Teeger as captain, and the following week complaints were lodged with both CSA and the Central Gauteng Cricket Board.

By that stage the South African government had submitted a referral to the International Criminal Court pursuant to Article 14 of the Rome Statute.

CSA appointed Adv Wim Trengove to conduct an independent inquiry to determine if Teeger had breached CSA or GCB’s code of conduct.

Trengove found he hadn’t. 

Trengrove stated that Teeger's comments could “not be understood to imply his approval or even condonation of genocide or any other crime.”

“Others might find his statements offensive,” Trengrove wrote in his findings. “But they would understand that the constitutional right to freedom of expression requires of us to be tolerant even of views that we find offensive.” 

Still, a month later CSA stripped Teeger of the under-19 captaincy, citing concerns about security around the under-19 World Cup, which took place in February this year. Challenged on the reasons for that decision by organisations including the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, CSA failed to provide satisfactory evidence.

Though protesters were present at some of the matches involving South Africa, they went ahead without disturbance on the field. 

CSA is aware of CFI’s legal action and is planning to comment at a later stage.