CSA winning on three fronts
by Ken Borland 13 July 2012, 17:22
Cricket South Africa (CSA) have won a major battle in their disciplinary enquiry against former chief executive officer Gerald Majola and are also making progress in their efforts to restructure their board to align with the recommendations of the Nicholson Committee.
Acting chief executive Jacques Faul revealed in Sandton on Friday that the chairman of the displinary enquiry, Advocate Johan Myburgh SC, had handed down an advisory award in favour of Cricket South Africa, finding sufficient reason for Majola to be fired.
Majola and his legal team have not accepted the advisory award, which is non-binding, and the case will now proceed to a full disciplinary hearing, where witnesses and cross-examination can now be included in the process.
In more good news for cricket, Faul also announced that he had withdrawn his resignation letter because those board members who were apparently unhappy with how he carried out his responsibilites now backed him.
"I've withdrawn my resignation because I now feel that I have the support of the board. I wasn't sure before, but I've subsequently had numerous calls from board members stating that they back me fully," Faul said.
A smaller board, with more independent representation and greater corporate skills were amongst the key recommendations made by Judge Chris Nicholson after his hearing into Majola and the bonus scandal, and CSA acting president Dr Willie Basson said this process was still firmly on track and now had the full backing of the board.
"It was a very severe Nicholson report, his findings had great implications and his recommendations were difficult to accept. But after today's meeting, I can categorically state that there is a very strong resolve to complete the process as closely as possible to the judge's recommendations," Basson said.
"The reality is very simple, we had problems with our governance structure and it was at odds with how it is developing across the world. It's all about smaller boards now, that are more skilled and have more of an independent presence. The board has accepted these proposals and made peace with them."
The benefits of a smaller, more independent but better skilled board are that cricket should be run more efficiently, they will be better attuned to corporate South Africa and provincial presidents can then concentrate more on their own constituencies, without clouding issues of national importance with their own agendas.
CSA will then be divided into two bodies - a professional board and a members' forum made up of representatives from all the provinces, associates and aligned bodies.
Basson said a nominations committee would be formed and will provide the current board with a list of people to sit on the new structure.
"The nominations committee will have independent members and will be appointed by the board to identify potential independent board members. Through advertisements and submissions by the public, they will sift through the candidates and then the final choice will be made by the members' forum," he said.
In the new structure, the members' forum will meet perhaps three times a year and decide on broad policies for cricket in the country, while providing "checks and balances" to the board.
The smaller, independent board will meet monthly and be responsible for implementing those policies, the day-to-day operations of cricket and monetary issues.
