CSA interim board term extended

Will be in office for two more months.

Telford Vice | Cape Town

SOUTH Africa’s government has extended the term of CSA’s interim board until April 15, two-and-a-half months after its tenure was first set to end.

Nathi Mthethwa, the sports minister, announced the establishment of the board on October 30 and said it would be in office for three months. He said then that he might extend the board’s term, which he did first until February 15. A ministry release on Monday said the body would stay on for two more months.

The structure was appointed in the wake of years of mismanagement and ethics failures overseen by an elected board. Senior staff members have been suspended pending disciplinary proceedings and an annual meeting was not held last year.

The release said the board had been “tasked to expeditiously deal with current governance systems, structures and procedures”, and that Mthethwa had “considered and was persuaded by the rationale for the requested two-month extension, which was influenced by such external issues as the disciplinary hearings as well as consultations with internal and external stakeholders”. He was “persuaded to grant the extension on the grounds stated, he has consulted with the members council [CSA’s highest authority] and it was unanimously concluded that this is the best decision for cricket”.

The interim board has itself not been immune to instability. Of its original nine members, Omphile Ramela and Xolani Vonya were recused in December. Ramela was subsequently removed but is fighting that decision. Vonya has returned to the board. Zak Yacoob resigned as chair last month in the wake of the publication of a recording of his abusive tirade targetting a journalist. Board member Stavros Nicolaou replaced Yacoob in the chair.

First published by Cricbuzz.