Cricket South Africa CEO Thabang Moroe has been suspended following reports from its social and ethics committee, and the audit and risk committee. The reports apparently expose possible failure of controls at CSA.
CSA released a statement on Friday explaining its decision.
Moroe’s suspension follows the suspension of three more CSA officials, including its CFO, and just a few hours after major sponsor Standard Bank announced it would not be renewing its sponsorship of the men’s national cricket team next year.
“The Board of Directors of Cricket South Africa has taken a decision to put the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Thabang Moroe, on precautionary suspension with pay, effective 06 December 2019, on allegations of misconduct, pending further investigations. The decision to place Mr Thabang Moroe on precautionary suspension follows from the reports received by the Social and Ethics Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board related to possible failure of controls in the organisation,” it said.
CSA has done a week from hell, which was sparked on Sunday when CSA media accreditation of five cricket journalists was revoked suddenly.
“During the course of Mr. Thabang Moroe’s precautionary suspension, a forensic audit of critical aspects of the business and the conduct of management related to such aspects shall be conducted by an independent forensic team. In this regard, we urge all our stakeholders including sponsors, members of staff, players, volunteers and cricket fans to allow this process to unfold and we will provide updates on this matter,” the statement said.
CSA said it would approach Dave Richardson, former South African wicket-keeper and former chief executive officer of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to help appoint an acting CEO during Moroe’s precautionary suspension.
On Monday, Standard Bank, sponsor of the Proteas men’s one-day international team, summoned the CSA to an urgent meeting to express their concerns.
Standard Bank complained about the “unsatisfactory manner in which CSA had engaged some of its stakeholders on the reported governance issues”.
Also on Monday, Norman Arendse, former CSA president, wrote an open letter in reaction to the banning of journalists and apparent maladministration at the CSA.
On Tuesday, CSA board member Shirley Zinn resigned, citing corporate governance concerns, and her objection to the banning of journalists.
On Wednesday, another bombshell dropped, with the resignation of board chairperson and finance committee head Iqbal Khan over concerns about “credit card abuse” and malpractice at the CSA.
“The criticism in the media, and by the public who love and support cricket, has reached such a crescendo, that I can no longer be deaf to the cries for immediate changes at CSA Board level. Events in recent months have completely undone the many good things we have achieved during the term of my office… I can no longer be party to an organisation that is fast ruining the game,” Khan is reported to have said.
On Thursday former South Africa captain and former cricket chief Ali Bacher called on Moroe to resign, saying the CEO was out of his depth.
“We’re currently the joke of world cricket. I don’t want us to end up like the West Indies who were once a mighty cricket nation, but have just disappeared over the last decade or two,” Bacher said.
On Thursday, another sponsor Willowton Group called on Moroe and CSA president Chris Nenzani to resign immediately, as CSA goes into a “special sitting” of its board.