[ad_1]
Omphile Ramela in the Lions.
(Images by Ashley Vlotman / Gallo)
- CSA’s interim board has sought to remove former cricketer Omphile Ramela as director, with Xolani Peter Vonya also suspended from the new leadership structure.
- Ramela is alleged to have been “obstructionist” and “refused to accept the decisions of the majority.”
- Vonya’s suspension stems from accusations made against him by his former union, Easterns.
The Cricket South Africa (CSA) interim board has initiated proceedings against its own members, including the former batsman. Omphile Ramela, looking to get it out of the frame
Former President of Eastern Cricket Union (Easterns) Xolani Peter Vonya he has also been “barred” from the board after his former union made unspecified accusations against him.
READ | Starters will play a decisive role in Proteas’ captaincy career
Chairman of the interim board Judge Zak Yacoob confirmed to the media during a virtual press conference Thursday morning that Ramela was facing a possible expulsion from the board that was chosen by the Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa and that Vonya was suspended.
Yacoob alleged that Ramela, who was the representative of the South African Cricket Players Association (SACA) on the board and president of SACA, was “obstructive” and “refused to accept the decisions of the majority.”
“We have filed a case against a director … Mr. Ramela, and he can appear before us represented by an attorney and present the case against his removal,” Yacoob said.
“But the case for his removal has been made. He is very unhappy about it and has to fight it and uses the press.”
Yacoob was asked to explain the reasons behind Ramela’s suspension.
He said: “Ramela has generally been an obstacle in relation to the affairs of the board.
“He generally defended the indefensible and refused to accept the majority. It seems to make a distinction between what is correct and the decisions of the majority.
“And if you feel like the majority’s decisions are wrong, then you can keep fighting for them for hours on end.
“He does not have the discipline to accept the decisions of the majority. He has been an obstacle in relation to every difficult decision we have had to make.
“It has virtually [been] impossible to deal with. The chance that the board would finish our work was diminished by these obstructive tactics. “
Yacoob also added more information behind the suspension of Vonya, who resigned from Easterns shortly after an assignment from CSA. Judge Bernard Ngoepe report found that there was a “fishing expedition” to expel Vonya from the East Rand union.
“We have challenged another director, Mr. Vonya, and also the council of members seemed very unhappy,” Yacoob said.
“We have challenged him on the basis that there were very serious accusations against him.
“The people of the East made complaints to us and the accusations against them were very serious and amounted to lower-level honesty.
“Therefore, we concluded that without thinking and suggesting that any of the accusations against him had been proven, we thought it would be safer to challenge him.
“Six members decided to recuse him and one member, who has not given us permission to mention the name, has abstained. The other two (Ramela and Vonya) did not participate.”
Yacoob added that he believed Ramela had obstructive “tactics” to hinder the work of the interim board, who were given three months by Mthethwa to clean up the cricket.
“In my opinion, not that of the board, I suspect that the obstruction tactics have been specifically designed to stop the board, so that we can do very little in the three months.
“I mean, all those obstructive tactics will fail miserably,” Yacoob said.
