Percy Sonn is new SA cricket chief
Fakir Hassen
The acrimonious battle for leadership in the South African cricket board ended with the re-election of
lawyer Percy Sonn.
Sonn was re-elected late Saturday as the president of the United
Cricket Board of South Africa. His rival Mtutulezi Nyoka has promised
to cooperate in the interest of the game.
In the past week, there was bitter public spat between Sonn
and Nyoka, with the latter publicly accusing Sonn of waging a vendetta
against him.
Nyoka also said Sonn had been disrespectful towards South African
sports minister Ngconde Balfour during a meeting of the UCBSA.
Nyoka also accused Sonn, deputy head in the office of the national
public prosecutor, of maliciously instituting an investigation against
him to probe allegations that the former misused his position to profit from
the cricket World Cup, to be hosted by South Africa in 2003.
Nyoka had also been nominated for the position of vice-president
but was defeated there by Rob Kurz.
After being re-elected, Sonn pleaded for unity in South African
cricket. He denied allegations that he had referred to comments by the sports
minister as "rubbish" and said Balfour was "a comrade and colleague."
"There is no division between us. Our objectives are the same,"
said Sonn.
He also said he would try to ensure that South Africa has the best
cricket team in the world, include communities which were earlier excluded
due to apartheid in the game and to ensure the success of the World Cup.
In addition to the three positions reserved on the UCBSA general
council for black representatives, a number of South Africans of Indian origin
were also elected to various positions.
They include four of the 11 provincial team representatives -- Cassim
Suliman of Easterns, Ronnie Pillay of Eastern Province, Ahmed
Jinnah of Griqualand West and Logan Naidoo of KwaZulu-Natal.
Morris Garda and Haroon Lorgat were the South African Indians
elected to the National Selection Committee. The other members were Rushdi
Magiet, Peter Bacela, Graeme Pollock and Mike Procter.
Indo-Asian News Service
