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It's just not cricket!

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Sport24 columnist Graeme Joffe (File)
Sport24 columnist Graeme Joffe (File)
Incredible how the Proteas just keep marching on, despite the woeful band that keeps on playing in the background.

I’m not talking about the great band that adds so much to the cricket at St. Georges Park in Port Elizabeth, but rather those noisy small little men at SASCOC who think they can drum up what they want with SA sport.

And sadly, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has fallen victim to SASCOC’s under arm bowling.

Why should the majority of CSA's board be made up of non-independent, "amateur" directors to comply with SASCOC’s wishes?

Why did we even bother having a Nicholson inquiry if his stipulations were going to be disregarded?

Yet, CSA adopts the recommendations of SASCOC, which is run by selfish, greedy administrators who are in it for nothing but themselves and have got away with “fixing” their last election.

But maybe “fixing” is okay and perhaps that explains why SASCOC were so quiet on the SAFA match fixing allegations.

SASCOC have released just one statement regarding the SAFA probe. CEO Tubby Reddy saying: ”While SASCOC would monitor progress of the investigation, they would not be directly involved at this stage. The agreement between SASCOC president Gideon Sam and SAFA was that this was a football issue between SAFA and FIFA, and not a prudent time for SASCOC to become involved with."

What a load of hogwash!

The SAFA allegations are some of the most serious SA sport has ever faced (a damning 500 page report from FIFA) and had it been any other sport, SASCOC would have gone in guns blazing, suspending the federation and taking control of the purse strings. But the five SAFA officials linked to the allegations in the report are back at work, as if nothing has ever happened and SAFA say they not trying to sweep it under the carpet.

Tell me another one!

The allegations hanging over SA football are far more damaging than any of those allegations faced by former CSA CEO, Gerald Majola, yet Majola faced the full wrath of the law, including a Nicholson inquiry. 

So, why did SASCOC play “soft ball” with SAFA?

• Are they too busy to read the 500 page FIFA report or still on holiday?
• Is SAFA too big for SASCOC to run?
• Did SASCOC not like the thought of a debt ridden federation which wouldn’t be good for their money making bouquet?
• Would FIFA have suspended SAFA for government intervention?
• Would the gravy train have been de-railed for AFCON 2013?
• Did they not want to expose friends?
• Is the Sports Minister about to be replaced and it will be someone else’s problem?

You could go on and on but until South Africa gets a sports minister who knows about sport and a valid, properly run, clean SASCOC administration, we have no chance. The greedy will keep on feeding themselves for four more years. After all, that’s how they roll, no pun intended.

Back to the cricket and you have to ask, why did CSA let their guard down to be bowled over by SASCOC?

The latest issue stemmed from the political dispute over Norman Arendse’s failure to make it onto the CSA board.

SASCOC got wind of their “good friends” absence and got stuck into CSA without hesitation and the bails went flying.  

Is it perhaps because Arendse has a lot of dirt on the SASCOC president from a state tender that is under scrutiny?

“Top advocate Norman Arendse has alleged that while he was deliberating on a R7 billion state tender in 2008 he was offered an “open chequebook” bribe by an individual claiming to represent Cash Paymaster Services (CPS). Arendse refused to confirm or deny the identity of his would-be corrupter, but the Mail & Guardian has confirmed that Arendse named prominent sports administrator Gideon Sam when he recorded the incident.“

I rest my case.

Speaking of cases, what was Henry Williams thinking, trying to come clean about the Hansie Cronje scandal, 11 years after the fact and admitting, he lied under oath during the King commission. 

Does he also want to go on Oprah?

But maybe that’s what SA sport needs, an Oprah like figure, where corrupt administrators and individuals can go and confess and feel better about themselves, in return for sympathy and forgiveness.     

“Oprah SA” would have enough material to run 365 days a year.

Email Graeme at: graeme@butterbean.co.za

Catch Graeme Joffe on SportsFire every Monday and Thursday at 17:30 on Radio Today, 1485am in JHB, National on DStv audio channel 169 and streaming worldwide on www.1485.org.za. Follow Graeme Joffe on Twitter: @joffersmyboy

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