The Western Province Cricket Association have appealed to Cricket South Africa president Chris Nenzani and vice-president Beresford Williams to resign.
Williams was president of the Western Province Cricket Association before joining CSA. He was succeeded by Nicolas Kock at WPCA earlier this year.
‘A special meeting of the Western Province Cricket Association council, convened at Newlands Stadium on Wednesday, 18 November 2019, has resolved to call upon the remaining directors (independent and non-independent) of Cricket South Africa to resign immediately, alternatively for the president and vice-president to resign with immediate effect. The resolution was passed unanimously, with one abstention,’ read a statement from the WPCA.
Earlier this year, central sponsors Standard Bank, the Willowton Group, Momentum issued damning statements about CSA, which effectively resulted in the precautionary suspension of chief executive officer Thabang Moroe.
CSA, meanwhile, are locked in a legal battle with the South African Cricketers’ Association over the proposed removal of franchise cricket.
‘The special WPCA council meeting was prompted by issues of serious concern, shared publicly by three leading national cricket sponsors, the South African Cricketers’ Association and a growing number of provinces, including the Gauteng Cricket Board and KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union,’ added the WPCA.
‘Western Province notes that other provinces have also been conducting grassroots engagements with their member clubs to discuss the current crisis in Cricket South Africa.
‘The WPCA president has been given a mandate to communicate the Western Province’s concerns on urgent matters, including:
- board vacancies and resignations;
- state of sponsorship;
- ongoing deadlock between SACA and CSA;
- continued suspension of senior executives on full pay; and
- the financial outlook for cricket given current and projected future losses.
‘The undoubted reputational damage suffered by Cricket South Africa as a result of the current turmoil requires the situation to be addressed immediately.’