Sports and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula has told the top brass at Cricket South Africa (CSA) not to allow their ongoing dispute to affect the national team ahead of next month’s World Cup.
“Government is concerned and shocked that on the eve of the important ICC calendar event, the sport of cricket in the country is thrown into disarray by personality issues,” said Mbalula when he addressed the media during the fifth one-day international between South Africa and India in Centurion on Sunday.
Calls had been made for Mbalula to step in and resolve the public dispute between the president of CSA, Mtutuzeli Nyoka, and the CEO, Gerald Majola, ahead of the global showpiece which starts in the subcontinent on February 19.
Nyoka and Majola had been at loggerheads after Majola was cleared in November of financial impropriety for failing to clear bonus payments to CSA staff.
Former chief justice Pius Langa was initially appointed to lead the probe into the bonus payments but CSA did an about-turn, opting for an internal investigation instead.
Nyoka, serving his second term as the CSA boss, alleged that Majola had lied to him about the bonuses and wanted an external investigation into the payments.
The president, however, was handed a vote of no confidence signed by all members of the federation’s board and is expected to receive the boot at an executive meeting on February 12.
‘Government is not happy’
Mbalula, who was introduced to the Proteas players by Majola before Sunday’s match, said it was shocking that issues which belong in the boardroom found themselves in the public domain.
“Government is not happy that there was no proper briefing from the side of CSA in passing a motion of no confidence to Dr Nyoka,” he said.
The minister urged Nyoka and Majola to stop the public spat and allow the issue to be dealt with in a dignified manner in the interest of the game of cricket. He said he was stepping in to try and resolve the matter.
Mbalula added that he would meet with the CSA board to convey government’s stance on the matter on the same day as the special meeting of the proposed motion of no-confidence. — Sapa