Beresford Williams finally falls on his sword in drawn-out CSA saga

New structure ‘will not involve anyone who has been part of it in the past four years’

25 October 2020 - 18:27 By Bareng-Batho Kortjaas And Khanyiso Tshwaku
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Beresford Williams has stepped down as Cricket South Africa's acting president.
CHEERS Beresford Williams has stepped down as Cricket South Africa's acting president.
Image: GALLO IMAGES/ BERTRAM MALGAS

Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) embattled acting president, Beresford Williams, has finally fallen on his sword and resigned‚ ending a three-month period in which he steadfastly held onto his seat, despite mounting criticism.

Williams is one of four non-independent board members who have tendered their resignations ahead of Sunday’s members’ council meeting.

The others are the Eastern Province’s Donovan May‚ Limpopo Cricket’s John Mogodi‚ Tebogo Siko from the Northerns Cricket Union, and Boland’s Angelo Carolissen.

There is only one non-independent in Zola Thamae, from the Free State, whose resignation hasn’t been confirmed, but is expected to be soon.

It is important that we earn the minister’s trust ... It is also important that we look at the MOI with the view to making sure the CSA board is independent from CSA’s members’ council.
Insider

It is understood CSA will inform the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) of the resignations. It will also tell sports‚ arts and culture minister Nathi Mthethwa it is willing to agree to the creation of an interim governance structure.

CSA has until Tuesday to give Mthethwa written representations as to why he shouldn’t intervene in its matters.

The structure will be made up of four current independent board members‚ a representative nominated by the minister‚ one by Sascoc and another by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

CSA will also propose that a former national cricketer of good standing serve on the board pending approval from the South African Cricketers’ Association (Saca).

Crucially‚ the people who serve on the interim governance structure will not have been involved in CSA in the past four years.

Furthermore‚ they should not have participated in the Fundudzi-led forensic investigation that’s at the heart of CSA’s mess.

It is also understood that the interim structure will be installed as soon as possible after all legal boxes have been ticked and every effort will be made to ensure it complies with the organisation’s MOI.

An insider said the organisation will make every effort to renew itself for the betterment of the game.

“Our position is that the proposal to the minister clearly shows our commitment to cooperate with his office and get cricket out of this dark period that it’s in‚” the insider said.

“It is important that we earn the minister’s trust.

“We are prepared to ensure that the Nicholson report recommendations are implemented.

“It is also important that we look at the MOI with the view of making sure the CSA board is independent from CSA’s members’ council.”

The resignations are in line with a board meeting resolution taken on Wednesday, where the resignations of the six non-independents were discussed and taken to the members’ council on Thursday for deliberation.

After the meeting‚ speculation was rife regarding the resignations, to the point where CSA issued a press release on Friday evening denying there had been resignations or a decision reached by the council. 

This was in response to independent board member Dheven Dharmalingam offering to resign‚ with his letter being widely published.

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