MARK WARD
There are mounting fears that the club structure under the banner of the Cape Town Softball Association (CTSA) could collapse as several players consider leaving the sport.
At the heart of the discontent is the Western Cape Softball Association’s (WCSA’s) decision to place its biggest affiliate under administration.
Several players and administrators have labelled WCSA’s actions to place the CTSA under administration as “unlawful” and crippling while others have pointed fingers at petty personal squabbles and vendettas between officials who were once in the same camp.
A protest was held at the Turfhall sports ground recently.
Players have also decided not to avail themselves for selection for the prestige national tournament next year, citing the decision by the WCSA, saying it was not in the interest of the sport.
While the WCSA’s decision hinges on the CTSA having not complied with the constitutional governance issues and a disregard for the provincial controlling body directives, there seems to be confusion on these motives.
In the meantime, the WCSA has appointed Bennett Bailey as administrator to guide the CTSA to a general election in February 2024.
Efforts since last Thursday, November 16, to probe Phouzaan Siebritz, secretary general of the WCSA on the matter has been met with a solitary response in which he requested all media inquiries to be addressed to the chairperson, Rodney Cupido.
Siebritz insisted all questions should also be submitted to him on the publication’s letterhead while he indicated the WCSF executive to answer all questions timeously. Yet there has been no response.
Bailey said progress has been made thus far after meeting with CTSA clubs and he is happy with strides made to plot the way forward for the AGM to beheld early next year.
However, he did not want to get into the merits of the CTSA having been placed under administration and referred all such inquiries to WCSA.
Carolyn Inglis, the CTSA chairperson, said she fears losing members who have become disillusioned with the WCSA’s action.
“The biggest disappointment is the total lack of communication from the WCSA. While we have met with Bennett Bailey, we are not happy with the manner as to how the process is managed from the WCSA’s side. As long as this present situation persists, we will lose membership. Having served the sport for more than three decades, they are becoming disillusioned. We have the WCSA who simply failed to meet with us to plot the way forward.
“We have been going through many challenges the past five years and I fear many players and club administrators leaving the sport because of these decisions which has resulted in us having been placed under administration,” said Inglis.
