Crisis Deepens for Cricket South Africa, Could Get 'Derecognised' as Soon as Next Week

Crisis deepens for Cricket South Africa as it is on the verge of being stripped of its status as the game’s governing body in the country. Minister of sport Nathi Mthethwa has informed the interim board and members’ council of Cricket South Africa (CSA) of his intention to invoke section 13(5) of the National Sports Act.

“I have decided to invoke my powers under the Act‚ and I hereby notify you that I have done so in accordance with s13 (5)(i)-(iii) by de-funding CSA and de-recognising CSA‚ and I will cause this to be published in the Government Gazette in due course at the earliest opportunity. I will‚ as soon as possible‚ also inform the ICC of my decision and provide them with my reasons for doing so‚” Mthethwa wrote in the five-page letter.

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This could happen as soon as next week as Government gazettes are published every Friday, which effectively gives the members’ council one week in which to agree to the sticking point in this crisis – the new memorandum of incorporation which will include the framework for a majority independent board.

Mthethwa continued to say that cricket in the country cannot be held to ransom by minority members of the members’ council.

“A majority of the Members Council (six) had already approved the IB proposals on 17 April 2021‚ and three of the council had elected to abstain. Cricket cannot be held hostage by a minority [of] members of the Members Council‚” the minister wrote.

Forewarning the impact of such an act, the interim board chairperson Stavros Nicolau said in a press conference on Thursday, “We are in a situation where a minister is in a position to trigger measures he has and powers he has at his disposal in term of the Act. The consequences of those would be dire for cricket – financial, economic, developmental and sporting consequences. It would plunge cricket into crisis.”

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The letter addressed to Interim Board chair, Dr Stavros Nicolaou and CSA’s acting president Rihan Richards, was sent on Thursday evening.

While the halting of funding from the government won’t have much material affect on CSA, the removal of recognition will have a profound effect on the national teams – the Proteas – which will no longer be recognised as the representative team of South Africa.

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