Cricket South Africa has apologised to Momentum after board member Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw took aim at the sponsor with a controversial tweet on Wednesday morning.
In a post that has since been deleted, Kula-Ameyaw, who is also an independent director at CSA, criticised Momentum’s decision to not renew its current deal with South African cricket when it expires next year.
READ: Momentum pulls out as CSA sponsor
Momentum made it clear in a statement on Tuesday that it is not impressed with how things have unfolded at CSA, and cited a leadership problem as the main reason for pulling the plug on the deal.
CSA subsequently released a statement on Wednesday afternoon, with acting president Beresford Williams apologising to Momentum for Kula-Ameyaw’s tweet and distancing the organisation from her notions on social media.
‘Cricket South Africa (CSA) sincerely apologises to Momentum for the unfortunate and unwarranted tweets made by one of our Board Members, in her personal capacity. CSA wishes to reiterate that Dr Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw did not act in her professional position as a non-executive board member of CSA,’ said Williams.
‘While we respect the personal views of all South Africans, CSA wishes to distance itself from the articulations made by Dr Kula-Ameyaw on Twitter. We further wish to reiterate that CSA does not ascribe to the views expressed regarding Momentum and we sincerely value the benefits Momentum and all our sponsors bring in making cricket accessible and inclusive for all South Africans,’ added Williams.
He further stated that CSA is not happy with her actions and have since handed the situation over its social and ethics committee.
‘CSA is taking this matter very seriously and in light of the reputational damage potentially caused, CSA’s Members’ Council has referred the matter to the Social and Ethics Committee and once all internal processes have been completed, the necessary corrective action will be taken. As part of its ongoing efforts to improve the reputation of Cricket South Africa, the organisation’s management will be re-educating all its internal stakeholders on better understanding its Social Media Policy and to ensure employees across all levels understand the value afforded by sponsors and supporters.
‘CSA has issued an apology to Momentum but wishes to reiterate that the organisation remains forever grateful for Momentum’s sponsorship and the fruitful relationship both organisations have enjoyed for almost ten years.’
Last week, the former acting CEO of CSA, Jacques Faul, revealed Kula-Ameyaw as one of the individuals he feels is responsible for capturing the governing body after she bought an advertisement in the Sunday Times worth R521,000 without permission.
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‘We thank Momentum for the substantial contributions they have made towards cricket upliftment and the milestones we achieved through their sponsorship and we assure them, that we will continue to build on the successes to grow and develop the game of cricket even further,’ concluded Williams.
