Hlalele Ernest Molotsi made Amanzimtoti history by being elected as Patron of KZN Cricket Union (KZNCU) in recognition of his immense contribution to KZN Cricket and Cricket South Africa (CSA). The amazing part is Ernest has never played nor followed cricket in his life.
The 70-year-old father and grandfather also made the history books as the first African to be elected as a patron during the union’s annual general meeting on Friday, 26 July. Previously he made history by being the first Toti resident to hold the position of CSA director from 2007 to 2013, the first African nominated to the SA board, vice-president of KZNCU from 2007 to 2013 and the first African nominated to the KZN board.
From a corporate background as a warehouse manager at Sapref, Ernest was voted onto the CSA board in 2007 as director and voted onto the sub-committee of transformation in 2010. In 2007, KZNCU recognised his ability and voted him in as its vice-president for two terms. During his term he drafted a procurement policy, which is still being adopted by CSA and KZNCU today.
“I worked with the late Krish Mackerdhuj at Sapref. He was the first non-white president of the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) and later appointed as High Commissioner to Japan by the late Nelson Mandela,” said Ernest. Familiar with Ernest’s transformation issues and his rare procurement skills, Krish quickly pulled him into the CSA loop. “I said thanks for the opportunity, but I never said I knew cricket, I just focused on what I knew and I was never in awe of the other members on the board.”
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Ernest immediately began working on a programme to focus on peri-urban and township cricket and how to develop it, which quickly garnered CSA’s attention. He realised he needed backing, so he birthed the KZN African Cricket Forum in 2006, and they went out into the townships to teach the youngsters how to play cricket and train coaches.
“It grew so quickly, it became too much for us to handle, so the union agreed that we could do more if we had some help.” Ernest was part of the panel who identified and hired Linda Zondi, who would go on to become a national selector and convener of selectors.
They started an annual competition to gauge how well their programme was doing by pitting their rural cricketers against established cricket schools. The first tournament in Umlazi Comtech catered to only 12 or 13 teams, but it has grown so much that it was moved to Hilton for a number of years and this year, was hosted at Michaelhouse.
Top players at the tournament are offered sports bursaries to the top sport schools in KZN. SA fast bowler, Lungisani Ngidi is a product of this programme and in recent years when opened to girls, has produced a SA player and a number of provincial players.
“At first we were hammered by Western Cape, Border and Gauteng, who have always been cricket provinces, but within three years we started to give them stick,” laughed Ernest.
Thanks to his vision and the township development programme’s success, CSA turned to another of his skills and Ernest was drafted onto a sub committee to deal with transformation. He was instrumental in changing CSA’s policy when he suggested that of the three national selectors, one should be African. That is how Zondi, the only African to have had provincial experience at that time, became a selector and eventually convener of selectors.
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Ernest did his primary schooling in Chesterville. He matriculated at St Francis’ College in Mariannhill in 1968 with Selby Baqwa, the first public prosecutor. He is married to Khabo and they have been blessed with four children and three grandchildren.
After he stood down as KZNCU vice-president in 2013, his expertise was quickly missed and he was called back to groom the new candidate. In that same year he accepted the chairmanship of premier league Durban side African Warriors. He was also elected vice-president of the Durban and Districts Cricket Union from 2013 to 2018/19.
He has been credited with being instrumental in keeping Amanzimtoti Cricket Club running after the amalgamation with Amanzimtoti Country Club, and he still serves on the Toti Conservancy committee as a founder member since 2011. In 2011, he became a member of the Amanzimtoti Sports Centre, which governs all sporting codes at Hutchison Park, and he was the deputy chairman of the Sipho Mkhize zonal sports council. He has served on Kingsway’s school governing body and held the office of deputy chairman.
In his rare downtime, Ernest is a massive jazz lover, and he helped form the SA Jazz Appreciators Association, which launched in August 2013, of which he was the national deputy chairman until 2016.
“I retired at Sapref in 2009, but you cannot just retire from life. I enjoy serving people and I will continue to focus on uplifting sport in Toti,” said Ernest. “I am honoured to have served CSA and KZNCU and contributed so much over the years, and appreciate that my role has been acknowledged.”
Message from KZNCU president, Ben Dladla:
“The KZNCU thanks Ernest Molotsi for his contribution to the development of cricket in KZN. Ernest believed in the dream that African children will play cricket one day. He worked with the late Mr Mahanjana to spread the love of the game in African communities.
He recruited some of us to this beautiful game. He started the African Cricket Forum, which was to unearth talent in our players. He requested the union to send coaches to the African communities, which resulted in the nurturing of talent in black townships.
While he was always on the side of development, he never shied away from making a meaningful contribution towards the professional cricket. As we welcome him as one of the patrons, we know that he will always avail himself to serve either as a sub committee member or give advice where it is due. Thank you and well done Mr Molotsi – the union will always hold you in high esteem.”
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