The Board of Cricket South Africa (CSA) has decided to probe Graeme Smith, the CSA Director of Cricket, and Mark Boucher, the coach of the Proteas Men’s team, with consideration to the Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) project’s report.
As per CSA’s official statement, the Ombudsman SJN Report made various “tentative findings” pertaining allegations of discrimination and racism. The report states that the high-profile duo was involved in the prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour. The board came to the decision during a virtual meeting conducted on Saturday.
However, the Ombudsman also indicated that he was not in a position to make “definite findings” and recommended that a further process be undertaken in the matter.
Furthermore, CSA has decided to conduct formal enquiries into CSA employees, suppliers or contractors, who have been implicated in the report.
CSA stated that formal inquiries will take place early in the new year by independent legal professionals. The investigation will not hinder with the duties of Smith and Boucher as the pair will continue to carry with their positions during the India men’s team tour of South Africa.
“CSA respects the SJN process and we are engaging with the report in detail and holistically. We have taken careful cognizance of the recommendation of the Ombudsman, that in appropriate cases, a further process should be instituted to test the evidence and submissions made, and we have decided that this is indeed the appropriate route to follow,” said CSA Board chairperson, Lawson Naidoo.
“We hope this will give implicated parties a fair opportunity to be heard so that finality can be achieved, and any final findings can then be acted on,” he said.
The report compiled by the Social Justice and Nation Building (SJN) Ombudsman, Adv Dumisa Ntsebeza, which “follows the Ombudsman’s important hearings into the causes, nature and extent of racial discrimination and lack of transformation in all cricket structures since unification 30 years ago”, was received and announced by CSA on Wednesday (December 17). The report had stated that “the appointments of Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher were flawed from a procedural perspective”.
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