The ombudsman will manage a complaints system in what CSA is calling the “Cricket for Social Justice and Nation (SJN) building” project following the fallout of Lungi Ngidi’s support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Since then a number of prominent black ex-players, including former Proteas Ashwell Prince and Makhaya Ntini, have spoken out of painful experiences of discrimination during their playing days.
In addition to the ombudsman, CSA will also establish a “Restoration Fund” to deal with opportunities lost due to discrimination, conduct “a healing and uniting process of fans players, starting with former players and implement a diversity and inclusivity programme.”
The plans will be overseen by Independent Board member Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw, who says: “Having heard what our ex-players shared, my focus as the Transformation Chair was to come up with a solution, hence the Cricket SJN concept.
“I am grateful that the Board supports this initiative. The office of the Transformation Ombudsman is a solid brick that we can use as a foundation to deal with racism and discrimination in Cricket.”
CSA’s president Chris Nenzani says the federation’s project is meant “to rid cricket of apartheid racial discrimination".
Many of the players, particularly ones who raised their voices recently in the wake of the attack on Lungi Ngidi, by Pat Symcox, Boeta Dippenaar and Rudi Steyn, will be watching for effective change.Cricket South Africa (CSA) will launch a “Transformation Ombudsman” to klap racism out of the sport.
The ombudsman will manage a complaints system in what CSA is calling the “Cricket for Social Justice and Nation (SJN) building” project following the fallout of Lungi Ngidi’s support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Since then a number of prominent black ex-players, including former Proteas Ashwell Prince and Makhaya Ntini, have spoken out of painful experiences of discrimination during their playing days.
In addition to the ombudsman, CSA will also establish a “Restoration Fund” to deal with opportunities lost due to discrimination, conduct “a healing and uniting process of fans players, starting with former players and implement a diversity and inclusivity programme.”
The plans will be overseen by Independent Board member Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw, who says: “Having heard what our ex-players shared, my focus as the Transformation Chair was to come up with a solution, hence the Cricket SJN concept.
“I am grateful that the Board supports this initiative. The office of the Transformation Ombudsman is a solid brick that we can use as a foundation to deal with racism and discrimination in Cricket.”
CSA’s president Chris Nenzani says the federation’s project is meant “to rid cricket of apartheid racial discrimination".
Many of the players, particularly ones who raised their voices recently in the wake of the attack on Lungi Ngidi, by Pat Symcox, Boeta Dippenaar and Rudi Steyn, will be watching for effective change.
CSA has over the years run many different programs and hosted indabas, which clearly have had little to no impact at playing level.
Meanwhile, the West Indies have indicated their interest in bringing the Proteas over to the Caribbean for a revised tour in September, subject to government approval.
With the Windies currently set in England, CEO Johnny Grave says: “It will be dependent on the IPL. South Africa have a number of their Test players who have IPL contracts, whereas in this current Test team we don’t have any IPL players.”