Cricket club accuses CSA of running game like "mafia"

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

The president of a 100-year-old cricket club has accused Cricket South Africa (CSA) of running cricket "like a mafia" after the sport's ruling body found no evidence of financial mismanagement by the South Western Districts Cricket Board.

For the past three years Leroy Hector and his Pacaltsdorp United Cricket Club have been loggerheads with the board over matters relating to delegations of authority and recording of financial transactions.

Although former CSA boss Gerald Majola he would investigate "personally", his own fall from grace as well as other administrative obstacles had delayed the investigation process.

However CSA has now cleared South Western Districts of any wrongdoing - angering Hector because he claims as the complainant the CSA investigation team had not even consulted him or his club.
In the interim, Pacaltsdorp - which is home to 60 cricketers - has been suspended from participating in the South Western Districts leagues because it had been found guilty of misconduct in terms of clause 1.11 of the Code of Conduct of the SWD Cricket board.

The clause states that a club may not communicate directly with institutions like, for instance, Cricket SA, without the consent or knowledge of the executive committee.
In reacting to the CSA findings, the SWD board said: "The internal audit department of CSA has identified no material weakness in the financial administration processes followed at SWD Cricket Board.

The allegations made of financial maladministration were found to be without substance."
SWDCB president Rudi Claassen said the executive committee acknowledged the findings of the report which "underlines the sound financial administration and corporate governance processes that are in place".

However Hector has vowed to continue his fight, and has approached Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport to intervene in the dispute.

"I cannot believe that in this day and age a club that is home to so many disadvantaged kids who otherwise would be on the streets can be suspended, when CSA did not even consult us, the complainants, during their investigation," he said.
"This has brought us to a standstill. I am absolutely shocked by the actions of SWD and CSA. What kind of guys operate like cricket mafias, who are untouchable and have no respect for the development of cricket?"
He said the club would take the matter to court, "whatever it takes".
"We are currently consulting with lawyers on this matter."

CSA spokesman Altaaf Kazi said the club was afforded the opportunity to include its evidence in the investigation.
"We did the audit and found there was nothing untowards. We asked him [Hector] to provide evidence, which he never did. We also said if he had a problem he could go the police and lay a criminal complaint, but we believe he has not that done either. He can still go to the police if he wants to."

John Harvey