The administration of South African cricket, which has been lurching from one crisis to another since the suspension of Thabang Moroe as Chief Executive last December, has finally been provided with an opportunity to wipe the slate clean following the resignation of the organisation’s entire board.
Six of Cricket South Africa’s directors, including acting president Beresford Williams together with four non-independent directors and an independent board member, resigned at a meeting on Sunday.
By Monday morning, the other non-independent director, Zola Thamae, and the three remaining independents, Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw, Marius Schoeman and Vuyokazi Memani-Sedile threw in the towel.
“All resignations are with immediate effect except for three members, namely, Zola Thamae, John Mogodi and Donovan May, who will remain as directors until the interim board structure has been appointed to ensure the continuity and stability of the organisation,” Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a statement.
Former CSA President, Norman Arendse, told BBC Sport Africa that the “resignations were inevitable”.
“Given all the pressure the organisation was under since last year when the then Chief Executive revoked the accreditation of five senior journalists for reporting on developments, that didn’t reflect well on Cricket South Africa,” Arendse said.
“When an organisation loses the trust and confidence of the cricketing public and two big sponsors, who quit because of their unhappiness with the state of affairs, it was always going to be difficult for the board members to continue,” Arendse added.
The pressure gained momentum over the past month following the CSA board’s persistent refusal to release the summary of a forensic audit report that was commissioned after Moroe’s suspension last year.
When the report, which was handed to the board on 31 July, was eventually released on 9 October to the South African parliament’s sports portfolio committee, Moroe was accused of alleged corrupt practices and failure to comply with company policy.
The clearing of the decks paves the way for the appointment of an interim steering committee in compliance with a directive from the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc).
Until the steering committee is finalised Rihan Richards, who was named president of the Members’ Council on Sunday, will head a four-person interim board.
The mass resignations come after the board stubbornly refused to resign amid growing pressure from Minister Mthethwa and Sascoc to do so.
Mthethwa gave CSA until Tuesday to provide him with reasons not to intervene. The Sports Minister also wrote to the International Cricket Council to inform them of his intention to intervene in an attempt to bring order to the organisation.
As things stand former captain Graeme Smith will continue as director of cricket while Mark Boucher is still in his position as head coach of the senior men’s national team who are due to host England in three one-day internationals and three T20 matches in Cape Town starting in mid-November.
Kugandrie Govender, who was appointed acting CEO in August following the resignation of Jacques Faul, continues in her position.
Meanwhile Moroe, who was fired in August after being on an eight-month fully-paid suspension, has taken his case to the Labour Court.
