Photo Credit: Cricket South Africa
The Interim Board of Cricket South Africa (CSA) met on Saturday 12 December to prioritise the issues it needs to act on in the remaining very short two-months of its term in order to fulfil the nine-point mandate given to it by Minister Nathi Mthethwa. Among the matters discussed were transformation, Black Lives Matter and the Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) initiative launched by CSA in August this year.
The Proteas team issued its press statement on 25 November stating that it would not be taking the knee during the recent England series, but ‘together, we are exploring [in a continuing way] the significance of taking the knee and a raised fist’. Interim Board chairperson Judge Zak Yacoob expressed concern about the implications of this statement. The IB believes that the subsequent public and media criticism has justified these concerns.
The chairperson noted in a letter to Director of Cricket Graeme Smith and Coach Mark Boucher on the same day as the players’ statement that while the IB respected the constitutional right of individuals to freedom of expression as guaranteed by the constitution, the IB felt that ‘we should embrace every aspect of our constitution’ fully as South Africans and show ‘the world that all of us are together in opposing racism at every turn’.
In its discussion this weekend, the IB re-affirmed the significance of the current world-wide movement against systemic racism in sport, noting that it was not a sectarian political cause but a broad social justice campaign garnering wide support from athletes all over the world, bringing together a coalition of support across national, racial, class, religious and generational lines. The IB feels black lives matter has a particular meaning given South Africa’s apartheid past. Therefore, the IB has confirmed CSA’s support for BLM – first expressed on 9 July in the aftermath of the letter sent to CSA by 36 former national players and senior coaches.
Judge Yacoob explained that while the IB could not compel the national team to act, it would encourage the Proteas to continue with their stated intention of engaging with this issue. He said it was in the national interest that our sports representatives reflected the constitutional imperatives for South Africans to address lingering discrimination, indignities and exclusions.
Finally, the chairperson noted that while the IB would remain engaged with this issue, it had also applied its mind to the SJN initiative and subsequently placed it on hold, pending further consideration which includes obtaining legal opinion from legal counsel.
Name of Author: Cricket South Africa
Cricket South Africa (CSA) governs cricket in South Africa. Formed in 2002, it succeeded the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) and became the sole governing body in 2008. CSA oversees all levels of cricket, including national teams for men and women, and is a full ICC member and SASCOC affiliate.
