The civil rights organisation AfriForum supports Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) Members’ Council in its decision not to appoint the interim board proposed by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture. This comes after Minister Nathi Mthethwa appointed a new interim board to take control of the sport’s highest decision-making body.
AfriForum is of the view that the current morass of problems and governance issues that have plagued CSA during the past years stems directly from political interference and government’s lackadaisical approach to accountability within the sport. Despite the apparent good intentions of Minister Mthethwa’s decision to appoint the interim board, it is evident that this decision is a gross intrusion by executive government into the affairs of cricket. As AfriForum has recently emphasised in a complaint lodged with the International Cricket Council (ICC), South African cricket has been burdened with governmental interference within the sport for many years.
Ronald Peters, Manager of Sport at AfriForum, says that the ICC’s articles of association prohibit members like CSA from allowing governmental meddling in the affairs of administering the sport.
“Under its own constitution, CSA should not allow for governmental interference within the sport of cricket. The importance of this principle, given South Africa’s history, cannot be overemphasised. Unjust governmental interference in South African sport led to the systematic denial of rights and maladministration, which was detrimental to the sport in general,” says Peters.
“Political interference in sport is of a binary nature. You either adhere to the principle or you violate it. There should be no room for government to pressure any sporting bodies.”
AfriForum is committed to ensuring that cricket in South Africa is administered and developed to the benefit of all South Africans without the shackles of governmental intrusions.