JOHANNESBURG – Gauteng cricket has descended into acrimony after Thursday evening’s annual general meeting was “adjourned”.
The preceding weeks leading up to the AGM was awash with rumours and reports about Cricket South Africa trying to interfere in the vote for the new board and the presidency of the Central Gauteng Lions.
It was the vote for those two entities, which weren’t on the agenda, that ultimately scuppered the AGM, according to a statement by the union on Friday afternoon.
Various concerns had been raised specifically about the vote for the presidency, with incumbent Jack Madiseng’s future central, given his position as a member of Cricket SA’s board of directors and his apparent close relationship with CSA’s chief executive Thabang Moroe.
Before the AGM, it was reported that Cricket SA and Central Gauteng had exchanged letters and held meetings with each other over the AGM.
And the possibility was raised that judge Bernard Ngoepe would be approached to assess whether the recommendations of the Langa Commission – set up a decade ago to deal with the racial volatility in the region – had been properly adhered to.
The period under which those recommendations were supposed to be followed was due to end at the AGM.
But Central Gauteng claimed on Friday that various measures, including the establishment of an ad hoc committee – which included representatives from the clubs – to specifically deal with the Langa Commission’s Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI), had failed.
“The required number of clubs did not meet the strict quorum requirements, as prescribed in the MOI in order to consider the proposed amendments.
“The failure to have these meetings placed the hosting of the AGM under Time Pressures,” the statement read.
Central Gauteng’s outgoing chief executive Greg Fredericks emphatically rejected claims of interference from Cricket SA, calling them “ill-informed”.
“In addition, we want to ensure our constituencies that the board wants to exercise its responsibilities in a responsible way.
“And while we recognise our autonomy, which we will protect at all times, we know that we do not operate in a silo, and our relationship with our parent body CSA is of great importance and value to us,” said Fredericks.
What the next step will be for the union is at this stage unknown, with Friday’s statement ending with a terse sentence.
“CGL will engage all stakeholders regarding a way forward.”
@shockerhess