In a joint statement released, Dr Basson was despite some concerns, given a strong mandate to sign the MOA by the CSA Board and a majority of Cricket South Africa (CSA) affiliates.
“It was important that we formalise the process. Although we are well advanced in carrying out the commitment made to the Minister following the publishing of the Nicholson Report, it was necessary to formalise the process on the basis of an MOA”, commented Dr Basson.
A Board-appointed Steering Committee onto which both SRSA and SASCOC have been appointed to drive the process and investigate the restructuring and governance processes of the Board of CSA on a more independent basis, has made significant progress.
The next milestone will be the appointment of an independent Nominations Committee to deal with the matter of independent representation on the restructured Board.
“If anything, I would say that we are on schedule on the targets we have set ourselves and that it is a heartening aspect”, said Dr Basson.
The Ministry of Sport and Recreation is delighted that all parties with interest in sport in general and cricket in particular, have contributed to this milestone signing and this will add impetus to the work already underway to implement the recommendations of the Ministerial Committee into the affairs of Cricket South Africa (popularly known as the Nicholson Committee of Enquiry), said Moemi.
Moemi and Dr Basson thanked all participants for their significant efforts in piloting the unanimously accepted board resolution to sign the MOA with the Department through the ranks of all Cricket constituent members.
It was clear that in some instances, this was not an easy task for understandable reasons.
The end result of this tenacity was that the majority of affiliates have supported the resolution passed and has now proceeded with the signature of the MOA.
This was a significant achievement considering the views held in traditional sporting circles about government’s involvement in the sport of cricket and the emerging views in broader society and within the political sphere, that sport is a national asset that belongs to the nation.
