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Angry parliament gives CSA Friday deadline to produce full Fundudzi Report

Beresford Williams (Gallo)

Beresford Williams (Gallo)

  • Cricket SA’s prevarication in releasing the full Fundudzi Report drew the deep ire of the parliamentary sports portfolio committee at Tuesday’s virtual meeting.
  • Committee chair Beauty Dlulane said she was disappointed and felt disrespected after giving CSA time to get their ducks in a row and show up with the full report.
  • Incredulous MP’s questioned CSA as to whether the Fundudzi Report was doctored or tampered with, in favour of sitting directors and employees.

An acrimonious Tuesday meeting with the parliamentary sports portfolio committee ended with Cricket South Africa (CSA) being given until Friday to produce the full Fundudzi Forensic Services report.

Committee chairperson Beauty Dlulane expressed disappointment in having read the Fundudzi Summary Report through media channels before CSA sent parliament a copy late on Monday.

The Fundudzi Summary Report that CSA revealed Monday morning at 08:15 apparently only made its way to parliament closer to midnight that day, giving the government oversight body about nine hours to peruse its contents before the Tuesday parliamentary presentation.

This drew the deep ire of all the sports portfolio committee members, who let their feelings known to CSA representatives present, including acting president Beresford Williams as well as independent directors Marius Schoeman, Dheven Dharmalingam and Dr Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw.

Schoeman, who was in the middle of the CSA presentation on the latest developments, was cut off mid speech as portfolio committee members refused to hear anything other than a commitment to releasing the full Fundudzi Report.

“I saw a report in News24, about the same [Fundudzi Summary] Report that I was expecting we would be the first to get it,” said Dlulane when she opened the meeting.

“We waited from June, to August and almost five months down the line, we see this report in News24.

“I was then told that there is a summarised report in my emails and I asked for it to be emailed to all members because we are having a meeting (with CSA) tomorrow (Tuesday). We did not have time to read it because we were in meetings.

“As the chairperson of this committee, I respected CSA’s leadership when they said they were still waiting and processing the report. But I did not see your respect in return.

“Why should we wait five months and, instead of being given the full report, we don’t even get given the (summary) report, which we saw in public platforms?

“I’m very disappointed with your leadership. You disrespected the same chairperson who gave you a chance whilst the members were saying don’t. You don’t even have the courtesy to prioritise the portfolio committee in parliament.”

Skeptical parliamentary members also questioned whether the Fundudzi Report was doctored in favour of those CSA directors and staff members that have been implicated in the rot uncovered by the report.

Independent board member Schoeman, the chairperson of CSA’s audit and risk committee, the committee in whose hands the full Fundudzi Report sits, denied that there had been any tampering with Fundudzi’s findings or investigation.

“There’s been a question raised in so far as tampering,” said Schoeman.

“I can categorically state that there was no tampering. It would be prudent also that we request Fundudzi to provide the portfolio committee with assurance that there was no interference with the investigation and that there was no limitation on the work that they’ve done.

“The only challenges that they had, has been that, because of Covid protocols, they had to adapt in terms of making their audit.

“But they have not been restricted and there’s been no tampering. The fact that the report was made directly available from Fundudzi, to the lawyers (Bowmans) and the Sports Minister is evidence of that.

“There have been controls put in place and a third-party service provider that completely independent that will provide the assurance that actions needed to be taken have been taken.

“With regard to directors that have been implicated, the report refers to two directors: Beresford Williams and Donovan May.

“Findings against them in the report were disclosed in a transparent manner with their consent to the Members’ Council. That is also included in the summary version.”

CSA also had to answer questions regarding the impasse with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) that led to the latter withdrawing their bid to intervene into cricket and handing the reins to Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa.

“There must be no doubt that the are legal consequences to releasing the full report but I have no doubt there are ways that we, as CSA, together with the portfolio committee, can address that risk in an appropriate manner,” said Schoeman.

“Sascoc was provided an opportunity, as was Members’ Council, to see the full report. Members’ Council went to Bowmans offices and signed an NDA to read the full report.

“Unfortunately, Sascoc did not want to agree to the same terms that were given to the Members’ Council [but] we continue to engage with Sascoc and we want to make them part of the solution.”

CSA has until the close of business on Friday to furnish parliament with the full Fundudzi Report.

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