/ 18 October 2011

CSA needs the help of Sascoc, says Parly head

Csa Needs The Help Of Sascoc

The acting head of Parliament’s portfolio committee on sport wants the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) to help deal with a bonus scandal at Cricket South Africa (CSA).

It was time for sports bodies such as CSA to get their houses in order, Mgolodi Dikgacwi told journalists on Tuesday.

“It is a concern for everyone, what is happening in Cricket South Africa. But the minister has taken a decisive measure … let’s allow him the space to do that.”

The “powers of the [sport and recreation] department are very limited” and it needed Sascoc’s help, Dikgacwi said.

“Sascoc needs to assist the department because it was created to deal with the issues of the federations … This matter should be dealt with because they could deal with Athletics South Africa decisively, so why not Cricket South Africa, which I agree with.”

Dikgacwi was speaking after MPs interrogated the department of sport and recreation on its annual report.

Sport bodies should get their act together as sponsors would not agree to “fund a bucket which has no bottom”, he said.

He appealed to the sports bodies to discuss these matters at an upcoming sport indaba.

No money
During the committee meeting, Dikgacwi said Boxing South Africa had been unable to turn things around because it could not even pay internal auditors to look at its books.

“They can’t because they don’t have the money.”

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula was to have briefed the media on the department’s annual report, but the meeting was cancelled.

He had been expected to give scathing views on CSA and soccer’s governing body, the South African Football Association.

Mbalula hit out at CSA at the weekend after its board sacked its president Mtutuzeli Nyoka, who had spoken out about alleged corruption.

He said cricket in the country had taken a knock in the wake of a two-year bonus scandal which CSA had attempted to sweep under the carpet.

Mbalula said he had a copy of a report compiled by Advocate Azhar Bham, which was based on the results of a KPMG audit which found that CSA CEO Gerald Majola had breached the Companies’ Act on at least four occasions.

He said the report, which would be made public, showed irregularities regarding the fiduciary duties of directors, and that CSA had failed to act appropriately in the wake of a bonus scandal centred around Majola.

After receiving threatening calls on Saturday night — warning him to “get out of this cricket thing” and to leave CSA alone — Mbalula insisted he would not step back until the boardroom battle had been resolved. — Sapa