[EXPLAINED] Thabang Moroe suspended as CSA crisis deepens

Cricket South Africa (CSA) found itself in the midst of an implosion this week with months of simmering frustration boiling over. 

The chaos surrounding the sport governing body developed faster than seasoned journalists could keep up with, but as of Friday, three board members had resigned, six officials had been suspended, five journalists had their accreditation removed and re-instated, one sponsor had called for the CEO and President to step down, and another sponsor had said it would not be renewing its affiliation with CSA due to "reputational damage". 

One of the journalists affected by the accreditation saga that sparked the recent wave of developments, Stuart Hess from the Independent Media Group, says there is no way CSA could survive if CEO Thabang Moroe does not resign. 

News of Moroe's suspension came through on Friday afternoon, a day before the CSA board was to meet about the way forward. 

In a statement, CSA said they took the decision to suspend him with pay in the wake of reports received by the Social and Ethics Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board "related to possible failure of controls in the organisation".

"During the course of Mr. Thabang Moroe’s precautionary suspension, a forensic audit of critical aspects of the business and the conduct of management related to such aspects shall be conducted by an independent forensic team. In this regard, we urge all our stakeholders including sponsors, members of staff, players, volunteers, and cricket fans to allow this process to unfold and we will provide updates on this matter," read the statement. 

"In the interim, the Board of Directors has mandated the Chairman to look at various options including holding discussions with Mr. Dave Richardson, the former Chief Executive Officer of the International Cricket Council (ICC), regarding the appointment of an Acting Chief Executive Officer for the duration of Mr. Thabang Moroe’s precautionary suspension."

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Hess explains that Moroe was given wide-reaching powers by the board in August this year. 

"We were all at a press conference when Moroe revealed that it had taken weeks of negotiations but he had managed to get the board to agree to invest more powers and responsibilities than they had in him.

"In his words, it was in order to enable things to run more efficiently. He wouldn't have to call board meetings the whole time, everything would just run through him."

Listen below as Hess explains how the board found itself in this position: 

Hess explains that he did not receive any prior notice before his accreditation was revoked and that CSA went on to lie about having engaged with the affected journalists before-hand.

The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) condemned the decision by CSA, and it played a pivotal role in sponsors going public with their frustration with the sporting body. 

Listen below as Hess explains the sequence of events: 

With Standard Bank's announcement on Friday that they would no longer be sponsoring the Proteas from 2020, the focus shifted againto CSA's finances. 

Hess says that while CSA projected a financial loss for the period April 2018 to April 2020 to come in at R654 million, players have said this figure could be closer to a billion rand. 

In addition, CSA's plan to address the losses through a restructuring has led to the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA) taking them to court. 

"From a financial point of view, Cricket South Africa is in very serious trouble," says Hess. 

Listen below as Hess explains CSA's financial position: 

In addition, the Mzanzi Super League is costing CSA a fortune as they don't have a broadcast sponsor for the event - the SABC is not paying them any broadcasting fees. 

Listen below as Hess explains the chaos around CSA"s sponsorships: 

The upcoming tour by England has been cast in doubt by the chaos in cricket in South Africa. 

Hess explains that players don't know who are in the squad, the position of the coach is up in the air and development in the lead-up to an anticipated board meeting on Saturday - or at least, a meeting of whatever remains of the board- will most likely impact directly on this. 

Listen below as Hess explains the ramification around the tour and the Boxing Day test match tour:  

In the wake of the string of resignations at CSA, Hess says it's hard to keep up with all the issues surrounding the organisation. 

"There's just real issues. If Thabang Moroe does somehow stay on I am battling to see how he can go to a company and say please put your money into cricket. I mean, who is going to trust that man? "

Listen below as Hess explains the latest developments with relation to CSA's resignations: 

Members of the public could be excused for asking why it matters if CSA goes under. 

Hess explains that CSA manages everything from player salaries to ground staff compensation, logistics, and stadiums. 

Listen below as Hess explains why it is important for CSA to function:  

Hess notes that Moroe's removal would not in and of itself be enough to save CSA, but he has to be removed in order for the body to have a fighting chance. 

Listen below as Hess explains what he believes it will take to turn the situation around: