Chair, it is with great regret that all cricket followers and sports lovers in South Africa received the findings of the inquiry into the financial affairs of Cricket South Africa, by retired Judge Chris Nicholson. South Africans will recall the intimidatory tactics and the pressure that was put on the Minister not to proceed with the three- member inquiry into the huge Indian Premier League, IPL2, bonuses that CSA chief executive, Gerald Majola, had paid himself and other members of the staff.
The internal squabble that followed CSA president Nyoka's call for an independent inquiry into the matter saw him having to take court action and arrange an independent inquiry by auditors KPMG. The audit report revealed that Majola had breached his fiduciary duties in terms of the Companies Act. He did so after corporate governance expert Mervyn King had led the CSA board through a corporate governance rules exercise before the IPL2. This exercise was obviously in vain.
In the preamble to the inquiry, Judge Nicholson quoted Lord Harris as having declared: "Cricket is more free from anything sordid, anything dishonourable, than any other game in the world." He did so to reflect the descent of the administration of cricket in South Africa.
Cricket SA is seen in the report as being morally bankrupt, with Majola guilty of deliberate concealment and others equally guilty of collusion. Cricket SA has for some time deliberately been trying to avoid any open and independent inquiry to keep the truth from surfacing. The government must act decisively to compel Cricket SA to remove each and every person who actively sought to minimise the fallout for Majola. [Time expired.]