Former acting Cricket South Africa CEO Jacques Faul believes the organisation is being captured by an extremely powerful faction from within its own ranks.
Faul, who resigned from his role a mere three weeks ago, told Rapport that the current chaotic climate at CSA could very well spell the complete collapse of the governing body.
‘South African cricket is currently being captured by a powerful faction – that is my biggest worry. I have sleepless nights about it.
‘For the first time it feels as if we are facing problems that could mean the end of CSA. Our 2012 crisis was a baby compared to this,’ he said.
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In 2012, Faul had to weather the political storm of the Gupta family, who tried to get their hands on the power of CSA. Faul, who was CEO at the time, managed to save CSA from being captured by the Gupta brothers.
‘I am fed up and powerless. I left because sometimes one person isn’t capable of solving such a problem,’ he added.
According to the newspaper, it is believed that Welsh Gwaza, secretary of CSA, and independent board member Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw are the individuals to whom Faul refers to as having agendas to capture the organisation.
Faul also says the final straw in his decision to resign three weeks before the CSA AGM was when Kula-Ameyaw bought a full-page advertisement in the Sunday Times worth R521,000 without any permission.
Kula-Ameyaw apparently reasoned that CSA has R400m in the bank for expenditures like that – something that is very far from the truth.
‘What Kula-Ameyaw clearly doesn’t realise is that CSA is suffering a R400m loss on a four-year budget cycle. Who pays R521,000 for something like that? It doesn’t make sense.’
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Faul also insisted that the board acts against Kula-Ameyaw, but when his request fell on deaf ears he decided to leave.
‘I realised she can do just what she wants. You are only as strong because the other people are weak, right?
‘The board should’ve gotten rid of her. An independent director doesn’t have the power to buy an advertisement worth R521,000.’