[ad_1]
Beresford Williams (Rooster)
- Cricket SA’s evasion by publishing the full Fundudzi Report drew the deep ire of the parliamentary sports portfolio committee at Tuesday’s virtual meeting.
- Committee chair Beauty Dlulane said she was disappointed and felt disrespectful after giving CSA time to line up her ducks and come forward with the full report.
- The incredulous MPs questioned CSA on whether the Fundudzi Report was manipulated or altered, in favor of the directors and current employees.
A bitter meeting on Tuesday with the parliamentary sports portfolio committee ended with Cricket South Africa (CSA) having until Friday to produce the full report from Fundudzi’s Forensic Services.
Committee chair Beauty Dlulane expressed disappointment at having read Fundudzi’s Summary Report through the media before the CSA sent a copy to parliament on Monday night.
The Fundudzi summary report released by the CSA on Monday morning at 08:15 apparently only reached parliament closer to midnight that day, giving the government oversight body about nine hours to examine its contents. before the parliamentary presentation on Tuesday.
This provoked the deep anger of all the members of the sports portfolio committee, who made their feelings known to the CSA representatives present, including Acting President Beresford Williams, as well as independent directors Marius Schoeman, Dheven Dharmalingam and the Dra. Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw.
Schoeman, who was in the middle of CSA’s presentation on the latest developments, was interrupted mid-speech because members of the portfolio committee refused to hear anything other than a pledge to publish the full Fundudzi Report.
“I saw a report on News 24, about the same [Fundudzi Summary] Report that he hoped we would be the first to receive it, “Dlulane said when the meeting opened.
“We wait from June to August and almost five months later, we see this report on News24.
“Then they told me there was a summary report in my emails and I asked to send it to all the members because tomorrow (Tuesday) we will have a meeting (with CSA). We didn’t have time to read it because they were in meetings.
“As chairman of this committee, I respected the leadership of CSA when they said they were still waiting and processing the report. But I didn’t see their respect in return.
“Why should we wait five months and instead of receiving the full report, they don’t even give us the (summary) report, which we saw on public platforms?
“I am very disappointed in his leadership. He disrespected the very president who gave him a chance while members were saying not to. He doesn’t even have the courtesy to prioritize the portfolio committee in parliament.”
Skeptical MPs also questioned whether the Fundudzi Report was rigged in favor of CSA directors and staff members who have been implicated in the rot uncovered by the report.
Schoeman, an independent board member, chairman of CSA’s audit and risk committee, the committee in whose hands the full Fundudzi Report resides, denied that there had been any tampering with Fundudzi’s findings or investigation.
“There has been a question about manipulation,” Schoeman said.
“I can state categorically that there was no manipulation. It would also be prudent for us to ask Fundudzi to provide the portfolio committee with assurance that there was no interference with the investigation and that there was no limitation on the work they have done.
“The only challenges they had was that due to the Covid protocols, they had to adapt in terms of conducting their audit.
“But they have not been restricted and there have been no alterations. The fact that the report has been made directly available to Fundudzi, the lawyers (Bowmans) and the Minister of Sports is proof of this.”
“Controls and a completely independent third-party service provider have been put in place that will provide assurance that the necessary actions have been taken.
“With respect to the directors who have been implicated, the report refers to two directors: Beresford Williams and Donovan May.
“The findings against him in the report were disclosed transparently with his consent to the Council of Members. That is also included in the summary version.”
CSA also had to answer questions about the deadlock with the Sports Confederation and the South African Olympic Committee (Sascoc) which led the latter to withdraw its offer to intervene in cricket and hand over the reins to Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa.
“There should be no doubt that the publication of the full report has legal consequences, but I have no doubt that there are ways that we, as the CSA, together with the portfolio committee, can adequately address that risk,” he said Schoeman.
“Sascoc had the opportunity, as did the Council of Members, to see the full report. The Council of Members went to Bowmans offices and signed an NDA to read the full report.
“Unfortunately, Sascoc did not want to accept the same terms that were given to the Council of Members [but] We continue to collaborate with Sascoc and we want them to be part of the solution. “
CSA has until close of business on Friday to deliver the full Fundudzi Report to parliament.
