Mixed support for Nyoka

Johannesburg - The battle heated up on Wednesday between Cricket SA (CSA) and its president Mtutuzeli Nyoka, with provincial members proclaiming their support on either side of the conflict.

Nyoka received the backing of the Northerns Cricket union, while CSA said it had been supported by the Gauteng Cricket executive.

"Against the backdrop of the issues raised and after due deliberation, the majority decision of the executive board of Northerns Cricket is not to support the proposed motion of no confidence in the incumbent president of CSA," the Northerns board said in a statement on Wednesday morning.

The executive of the provincial body, one of 11 members of the CSA forum, had debated the proposed motion "at length" at its AGM in Centurion on Tuesday night.

Hours later, CSA said it had received the backing of the Johannesburg-based union.

"The Gauteng Cricket Board decided by an overwhelming majority on Wednesday night to support a vote of no confidence against CSA president Mthuthuzeli Nyoka," CSA said in a statement.

The national cricket body said last month it would hold a special general meeting next week where Nyoka would be handed a vote of no confidence for the second time this year.

The Free State cricket body's president, Leon Crawley, was mandated last month to vote in favour of the motion to oust Nyoka.

Nyoka, who has been locked in an ongoing battle with the CSA board since 2009, had queried unofficial bonuses paid to chief executive Gerald Majola and 40 CSA staff members after the hosting of the 2009 Indian Premier League and ICC Champions' Trophy competitions.

The bonuses came to light only after CSA's remuneration committee unwittingly rewarded the same staff for the same work.

Nyoka was ousted in February after his refusal to let the matter rest.

He obtained a court order to be reinstated and recommended an external audit be carried out into the affair.

The investigation, conducted by KPMG, found that Majola may have breached the Companies' Act in four instances.

To date, Majola has received nothing more than a reprimand from CSA's board while Nyoka has continued to argue for sterner action to be taken.