You are here
Home > EltasZone > CSA commits to hiring black consultants exclusively in effort to speed up transformation

CSA commits to hiring black consultants exclusively in effort to speed up transformation

Kugandrie Govender (Gallo)

Kugandrie Govender (Gallo)

  • CSA has committed to appointing only black consultants in its efforts to speed up transformation.
  • This was confirmed by the organisation’s acting CEO, Kugandrie Govender, following a meeting with the Department of Sport.
  • Govender said the internal measure would be applied across the board.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has committed to hiring black consultants exclusively in an effort to facilitate transformation.

This was confirmed in a meeting with the Department of Sport and Recreation on Monday. 

It was after that meeting that CSA took the decision to postpone its Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was due to take place this Saturday. 

There is no signed agreement from CSA’s side, but the proviso will be extended to the Proteas men’s national side and, wherever possible, to consultancy positions throughout the organisation. 

Administrative woes aside, CSA has also been at the centre of heated debate in recent weeks relating to the Black Lives Matter movement and what government perceives to be a lack of transformation throughout the organisation. 

Director of cricket Graeme Smith has had to publicly defend his decision to appoint Mark Boucher as head coach, while the appointments of Jacques Kallis and Paul Harris as consultants ahead of last summer’s England series were also thrust into the spotlight. 

The Proteas also currently have Enoch Nkwe (assistant coach), Charl Langeveldt (bowling coach) and Justin Ontong (fielding coach) as full time employees while Volvo Masubelele is also the full-time team manager. 

Under the new internal commitment, the Proteas would not be able to make use of Kallis in any coaching capacity unless it could be proved that there was no person of colour capable of fulfilling the same role. 

The new policy is particularly startling given Kallis’ status as one of the greats to have ever played the game. 

Speaking to Sport24 on Tuesday, CSA’s acting CEO Kugandrie Govender confirmed the decision. 

“The truth is that the grey area that existed before, for years now, the “preferably black” [appointments], landed those of us who are currently in these roles, with a situation where we simply aren’t as transformed as we should be,” Govender wrote via text message.

“The choice that existed before was not utilised in the most efficient way.

“So, we are now required to enforce Black consultants only (African, Coloured and Indian) until such time as the overall numbers are moving in the right direction and we can then revise this.

“The proviso is that this will be the case unless there are no such consultants available at the level we require in order to keep SA at the top end of world rankings.”

Govender added that the internal measures would extend to all areas of CSA.

“As far as is possible, [it] applies to consultants across the business. It’s an internal measure to enforce that the change that should have happened organically over the years but didn’t, does actually now happen,” she said. 

In a statement on Monday, CSA committed to a “reconfiguration of the organisational structure to ensure that the remedial actions recommended by Fundudzi of the forensic review is implemented”.

That report, which was central to the firing of CEO Thabang Moroe last week, will now be internalised by CSA in an effort to adopt its recommendations. 

The findings of CSA’s Nicholson report, submitted to the organisation eight years ago, will also be revisited as CSA seeks to overhaul its existing structures. 

Govender is currently serving as acting CEO until the end of September, with Jacques Faul having stepped down from the role in an acting capacity on 18 August, while Beresford Williams is the acting president after the confirmed resignation of Chris Nenzani on the same day. 

Nenzani was due to stand down at the 5 September AGM.

CSA has also appointed Dr Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw as the head of its transformation committee and appointed a transformation ombudsman in advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza.

Last week, Kula-Ameyaw detailed plans to move forward with a restoration fund that would seek to financially compensate former and current players and members of the South African cricket community who had suffered injustices. 

No new date has been set for the AGM.

FacebookTwitterEmailWhatsAppBloggerShare
Tutorialspoint
el-admin
el-admin
EltasZone Sportswriters, Sports Analysts, Opinion columnists, editorials and op-eds. Analysis from The Zone Team
Top