EDITORIAL | Attack isn’t always the best form of defence, as judge Yacoob found out

Judge Zak Yacoob had to tread a fine line as Cricket SA’s interim board chair between being firm in the restructuring process, which would inevitably ruffle feathers and create enemies along the way, and bullying.

His vitriolic response to a journalist asking tough questions — published by TimesLIVE in a 40-minute audio — gave too strong an indication that Yacoob had erred on the side of bullying and authoritarianism, and he had to go. That was the decision, after a conversation with sports minister Nathi Mthethwa, who had appointed Yacoob, and the retired Constitutional Court judge stepped down as CSA’s interim board chair last week.

The entire saga is regrettable on many fronts. It was entirely unnecessary, as Yacoob certainly should not have responded in the manner he did. Also regrettable because by all accounts the interim board has done good work restructuring and stabilising troubled CSA since Mthethwa appointed it three months ago. Also regrettable because it has sullied the reputation of a revered anti-apartheid activist, whose contribution to the struggle was so notable to have then been appointed a Constitutional Court judge by Nelson Mandela in the country’s new democracy in the 1990s.

The sports reporter in question, TimesLIVE writer Tiisetso Malepa, was doing his job calling Yacoob for comment. Malepa had received, from a source, letters written by suspended acting CEO Kugandrie Govender alleging verbal abuse against her by Yacoob. This was a story, and by industry standards, a good story — not because the allegation was being taken as truth, but simply that it had been made against so prominent a figure.The context of how troubled CSA had been, and the interim board’s role in stabilising that, made it newsworthy. The allegation was never taken as fact. And Malepa’s call to Yacoob for comment was in line with strict journalistic process to allow Yacoob a right of reply, to give his side of the story.

Whether Yacoob respected Malepa, had issues with his previous stories, liked him or disliked him, is not the issue. He was a journalist doing his job. The retired judge’s stunning verbal attack on Malepa — accusing him, falsely, of taking Govender’s allegation as fact (which Malepa had not, he was simply writing a story that the allegation had been made, and asking for a response) was entirely inappropriate. Certainly, given the allegation in the story he was being questioned about was one of verbal abuse, Yacoob’s response of verbally abusing the reporter asking the question did not seem to put the judge in a good light on Govender's assertion either.

It cost Yacoob an important position — a development that hopefully will not derail the interim board’s mission of restoring CSA’s troubled administration to efficacy. As the important national figure who he is, Yacoob let himself, and cricket, and the country down.