The Social Justice and Nation Building Project’s hearings into South African cricket will begin on Monday.
Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza, the Ombudsman of the project, will highlight the terms of reference of his office. This will include the mandate, objectives and the mission of the project.
“It’s a process which can be doable in six months’ time because I will just get a sample of testimony on which I will base my report as to what the evidence that I’m going to be getting in the hearings show from the point of view of the impact of unfair discrimination. If I’m able to find it in the inquiries that I will be making through the hearings that I will be holding,” explains advocate Ntsebeza.
Among other things, Ntsebeza has been tasked with managing an independent complaints system that will look at restoring and uniting current and former players. For the former head of investigations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) that was established to investigate gross human rights violations during apartheid, the hearings will not be a witch-hunt.
“I am not going there with a pre-conceived idea of what the outcome is going to be because I want to be fair with everybody. So, this is a contested area and South Africans need to understand that the notion of transformation is something that means a different thing to different people,” says the CSA Transformation Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman has roped in Advocate Fumisa Ngqele as Legal Advisor of his office.
“She helps me in finessing – making sure that this process is fair and compliant with administrative law,” explains Ntsebeza.
“The reason we will be having these hearings is so that we can uncover the truth in relation to allegations of racial discrimination and the imbalances within the game of cricket in South Africa. The purpose of the SJN Project above all is to promote equality, unity, transformation and of course healing,” says Ngqele.
She elaborates on what to expect at the hearings in the video below:
On Monday, Ntsebeza is expecting submissions from three people.
Dr Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw will make some highlights on her involvement in relation to transformation issues and policies within CSA. Professor Andre Odendaal, who has done some extensive research on the game of cricket and transformation issues, will make his submission after Kula-Ameyaw. He will then be followed by a former journalist and sports commentator, Dumile Mateza, who has been vocal against discrimination in cricket.
“SABC and SAFM must come to the hearings in order to know what he’s going to say. But it is our view that a journalist’s perspective is going to be critical,” says advocate Ntsebeza.
The Social Justice and Nation Building Project was set up last year following claims of racism, discrimination and injustice within Cricket South Africa.
