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Kugandrie govender
Bertram Malgas / Gallo Images
- Lobby group AfriForum said Tuesday that it will consider legal action against Cricket South Africa.
- This comes after CSA said that just appoint black consultants in a effort to drive transformation.
- AfriForum says that it takes a firm position against any form of racial discrimination and will therefore consider necessary action.
Organization of the lobby group AfriForum says it could take legal action against Cricket South Africa (CSA).
This comes after CSA’s announcement Tuesday that the organization would make an effort to hire primarily black consultants in an effort to “accelerate” the transformation.
The agreement was presented by CSA in a meeting with the Department of Sports and Recreation.
Last month, Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa asked the CSA to appoint people of color to senior management positions.
In addition to governance issues and Covid-19 adding to CSA issues, the cricket board has also had to deal with issues related to the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM).
The movement has seen former national players come forward and reveal mistreatment and racial inequality within the South African cricket fraternity.
Cricket director Graeme Smith has come under fire for the appointments of “friends” Mark Boucher as Proteas coach, Jacques Kallis as hitting consultant and Paul Harris as bowling consultant.
In an interview with Sport24 on Tuesday, Acting CEO Kugandrie Govender confirmed that the internal measures would be extended to all areas of CSA, including the Proteas men’s team.
“We are now obliged to only enforce black consultants (African, colored and Indian) until the overall figures are moving in the right direction and then we can review this,” Govender said in a text message.
“The condition is that this will be the case unless there are no such consultants available at the level we require to keep SA at the top end of the world rankings.”
Under this new agreement, which has yet to be signed, the Proteas would not be able to hire the legendary all-rounder Kallis, unless it could be “shown that no person of color could play the same role.”
Hours later, AfriForum revealed in a statement that its legal team would investigate the matter.
“Cricket South Africa’s decision to exclusively hire black consultants cannot in any way be considered more than unjustifiable racial discrimination,” said Ernst Roets, head of policy and action at AfriForum.
AfriForum takes a firm position against any form of racial discrimination and will therefore take the necessary measures in this matter.
“It is worrying that it has become common for some forms of discrimination to be excused and justified as ‘necessary’ or ‘positive’. These are dangerous and flagrant double standards that must be opposed, and as will AfriForum, a rights organization civilians exactly that, “Roets concluded.
On Tuesday, the current 30 Proteas – men and women – also expressed concern and condemned the chaos that is engulfing CSA.
“High standards are expected of us as players. To be successful as Proteas teams, we know that we must put aside personal differences and work together. We require the same from our administrators,” the players’ statement read.
“Politics and self-interest seem to trump the imperatives of cricket and good governance. Decisions must be made that are in the best interests of cricket …”
– Compiled by Sport24 staff
