SJN Report Finds Appointments of Graeme Smith & Mark Boucher were Procedurally Flawed

The Social Justice and Nation Building (SJN) Ombudsman has found that the appointments of former Cricket Director Graeme Smith and Head Coach Mark Boucher were procedurally flawed. 

Cricket South Africa (CSA) received the 235-page SJN report compiled by Adv Dumisa Ntsebeza on Tuesday. 

The report follows the Ombudsman’s hearings into the causes, nature and extent of racial discrimination and lack of transformation in all cricket structures since unification 30 years ago.

Ntsebeza referred to former CEO Thabang Moroe’s headhunting of Smith in 2019 as operating outside of CSA’s recruitment policy

On Boucher’s appointment, Ntsebeza said Smith “did not follow any CSA policy” in appointing Boucher with no interviews conducted, while Boucher also did not possess the Level 4 coaching qualification required for the position. 

The report says there was no clear reason as to why Boucher was the head coach position ahead of Enoch Nkwe, who had served as the Proteas team director in an interim capacity up until then.

Ntsebeza makes it clear that CSA’s efforts to provide cricketing facilities in remote areas and create opportunities for the disadvantaged to enjoy the game of cricket can only succeed if CSA, the government and other relevant stakeholders “start from scratch” in achieving the goal of making cricket a truly transformed sport in disadvantaged areas.

He also raises concerns over an “exclusionary culture” in certain incidents in the past when it came to selection of Black players.

The report also found that race played no part in the match fixing investigation and the Ombudsman could not find any evidence supporting the allegation that Black players were targeted during the investigation.

CSA confirmed that the SJN process, which was initially supposed to last four months but ended up lasting over six months, cost the organisation R7.5 million. 

CSA board chair Lawson Naidoo said the board is still considering the report and will engage with it further in the new year.

Read the full report here: SJN Report