Cricket South Africa's (CSA) Interim Board (IB) met on Wednesday evening to discuss the current impasse regarding the amendment of CSA's Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) and, in particular, the Members' Council's refusal to accept the well-entrenched corporate governance principle of a majority independent Board.
The IB has updated Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa verbally and in writing and has reiterated the following non-negotiables, which formed part of the Minister's mandate to the IB: the implementation of the 2013 Nicholson Report and a majority independent Board.
Mthethwa, who appointed the Interim Board at the end of October last year, to sort out the administrative mess at CSA, which had led to a forensic audit, a plethora of resignations and suspensions and a general breakdown of trust between the orgsation the players, sponsors, and public, is understood to be furious with the Members Council for choosing not to agree to changes to the administration.
"History has proven that the current governance structure within cricket is untenable and has been the cause of past maladministration and a lack of accountability. "One cannot continue with the same governance structure and expect a different outcome as regards good corporate governance," commented the Chairman of the IB, Dr. Stavros Nicolaou.
"A majority independent Board is a widely-held corporate governance principle both in South Africa and internationally. That the Members' Council has reneged and now refuses to accept this principle is short-sighted and has yet again brought cricket administration to the brink of crisis.
"The brinkmanship, - which has become all too familiar - displayed by certain members of the Members' Council, cannot be tolerated for much longer by the cricket-loving public. This is evidenced in the public reaction since the Members' Council decision was communicated," added Dr. Nicolaou.
The IB has written to the Acting President of the Members' Council, Rihan Richards, to ascertain the voting patterns of individual affiliate members. The IB has done so in the interests of transparency and for the benefit of all cricket's stakeholders.
"The IB has also been speaking directly to the Presidents of affiliate unions in an attempt to further clarify its position and what is at stake for the future of cricket. The IB has done so because it appears that some of the affiliate votes may not have been recorded accurately and/or there may have been some misunderstanding regarding the interpretation of certain principles including the principle of 'independence' of a future Board," the CSA said in a statement.
"It must be noted that thus far the Members' Council has been responsible for spending millions of Rands in legal fees in an attempt to stave off the amendment of the MOI and the principle of a majority independent Board as set out in the Nicholson Report," it added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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