South Aafrica to set up SJN project to uproot racial discrimination
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|| Desk Report ||
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has announced a comprehensive plan to eradicate racial behaviour from their cricket by setting up a project- Cricket for Social Justice and Nation Building (SJN).
After the allegations of racial discrimination from former pacer Makhaya Ntini, the CSA has responded with this project.
Ntini alleged that he felt ‘forever lonely’ due to the racial discrimination within the national side during his playing career after which the CSA, in a statement on Saturday (July 25), said that they had noted the comments made by the former speedster and a few others.
For this the transformation committee of the board has come up with a strategy under the Project SJN that will address:
# The establishment of the Office of the Transformation Ombudsman, whose core function will include the management of the independent complaints system, convene a National SJN Imbizo and provide assurance regarding the extent to which transformation programmes are impactful on society, amongst others.
# Engage in the healing, restoration and uniting process of cricket players, fans, and the nation, starting with the disgruntled former players.
# Formation of The Restoration Fund - to deal with opportunity cost due to discrimination
# Promote and intensify Diversity, Belonging and Inclusivity (DIBS) program implementation
Officials are expected to be appointed by the end of August. Dr Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw, Independent Director and Transformation Chair, will be heading the process.
“We’re sorry that our cricket players had to endure the emotional hardships that they did; subjugated by their peers along racial lines under our new democracy that enjoined us to embrace reconciliation and inclusivity,” CSA Chairman Chris Nenzani said.
“SJN is the first-of-its-kind project meant to rid cricket of apartheid racial discrimination. This is a very important project that all stakeholders must make sure it succeeds for the future sustainability of cricket,” Nenzani told media.
“The fortunes of cricket, its players, stakeholders, and fans are not going to be held to ransom by the wayward few who definitely have no place within our ranks. We are determined to pull out all stops to ensure that healing takes place for those who have been wronged, and that perpetrators are exposed, sanctioned, and isolated,” he added.
CSA’s acting CEO, Jacques Faul, is hoping that the Project SJN can help annihilate racism in South African cricket.
“It’s been a very challenging time for Cricket South Africa, and we have to acknowledge that what we have heard was not easy to digest,” Jacques Faul said.
“However, I’m also encouraged by our plan to address this. We will need the buy-in from all our stakeholders to ensure a racism-free future at Cricket South Africa,” Faul said further.
“We commit that never again shall we be found wanting and will consolidate our efforts to assure an inclusive cricket environment, free of any discrimination, racism or any other ill that negate the gains of the democracy that we fought so hard for,” he concluded.
