CSA reaches consensus on board structure
The Board of Directors of Cricket South Africa (CSA) reached consensus at a special general meeting on Wednesday on the re-structuring of the Board in terms of both the recommendations of the Nicholson Committee of Enquiry and the mediation process with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc).
The Members’ Forum approved the necessary changes to the Articles of Association at a subsequent special general meeting.
The Annual Meeting at which the new Board will be elected will be held on Saturday, 2 February 2013.
The following decisions were taken by consensus:
• The Board Chairperson will be the elected President of CSA
• A Lead Director will be appointed from among the independent directors to guide the Chairperson as proposed in King III. In terms of King III the Board of Directors (both independent and non-independent) will elect the Lead Director.
• In terms of the arbitration between CSA and Sascoc, Mr. Norman Arendse will be one of the independent directors recommended to the Members’ Forum for election to the CSA Board.
• Each candidate will have to achieve a majority of more than 50 percent to be elected. The Company is required to elect five directors. If any of the recommended five does not make the required percentage, then the two alternative nominations will kick in. The voting will be done by ballot.
• The Board structure will in the interim consist of five independent directors and seven non-independent directors elected by the Members’ Forum, taking cognisance of geopolitical boundaries as far as it is possible.
• After a period of 18 months the Board will be increased to comprise seven independent Board members and nine geopolitical non-independent representatives.
• The CSA Final report, accepted by the Minister, in response to the Nicholson Committee of Enquiry, is to be used as a guiding document by both the new Board and the Members’ Forum in order for maximum benefit to be derived from the process and ensure that CSA’s governance structure is strengthened.
The Board had a frank and full discussion on transformation which included input from CSA’s national selection convener, Andrew Hudson.
The urgent need to improve representation of Black Africans at all levels from school/club through to franchises and on to national level was stressed as an imperative.
Transformation will be carried out as a three-tier policy at club/school level, franchise level and national level.
The Board accepted Acting President Willie Basson's explanation for his involvement in the previous and current government’s chemical research programme and acknowledged that he had always operated in good faith.
He was also thanked for his services as Acting President of CSA for the past 10 months.
