Johannesburg - Indications that Chris Fismer, the chairman of the National
Gambling Board, was about to be replaced were met with astonishment and
concern by gambling industry leaders yesterday.
They expressed amazement at a notice in the Sunday papers inviting
nominations for the appointment of a chairman for the National Gambling
Board.
That position is now held by Fismer, who is highly regarded by industry
players. He has headed the board since its inception in March last year and,
since the mid-nineties, has been a key player in establishing the newly
legislated industry.
Neither Fismer nor officials from the trade and industry department were
available for comment yesterday.
Sfiso Buthelezi, the chief executive of the board, said yesterday that he
was unaware of the situation until he saw the notice. At this stage it is
unclear what prompted the move or whether Fismer will remain to head the
board until a replacement is found.
The suddenness of the move has sparked speculation that there could be a
rift between Fismer and politicians at national level. "It may just be that
for personal reasons Fismer has decided to move out of the industry, but the
unexpected announcement of plans to look for a new chairman does lead to
speculation of some sort of rift," one analyst said.
A senior corporate executive said Fismer had an extensive knowledge and
understanding of the industry, which would be difficult to replace.
"One of the extremely frustrating aspects of creating a new legislative
environment for the gambling industry has been the shortage of skilled and
informed individuals at government level.
"Now it looks as though we will be replacing one of the few skilled
individuals in a key position with a comparatively new player; the
consequences may not be so bad for casinos or the lottery where legislation
has been put into play, but it will be severe for the slots sector of the
industry where things have not yet been finalised," the executive said.
Fismer was appointed in March last year when the board was formally
established.
The establishment of the board came 15 months after nominations were
advertised for the position of chairman and two general board members. The
delay in appointing Fismer chairman has sparked concerns about another
period without an effective head of the national board.