More than 10 000 South Africans have backed a call made by the Democratic Alliance (DA) for the suspension of the South African Football Association (Safa) President Danny Jordaan on Thursday.
This after the DA launched a petition calling for the immediate suspension of Jordaan and Safa CFO Gronie Hluyo, pending the outcome of ongoing criminal investigations against them.
According to DA member of parliament Tshepo Mhlongo, a highly detailed audit report revealed instances of financial mismanagement and potential corruption at the embattled football association.
“We urge the honourable speaker of parliament [Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula] to act swiftly to avoid the Safa ship from sinking any deeper,” Mhlongo said.
“We believe that people have spoken, and we need action now.”
“Backed by 10 000 concerned citizens who have signed the petition, we call on parliament to launch a fully independent forensic investigation to scrutinize the financial affairs of Safa and the 2010 Fifa World Cup Legacy Trust.”
The Legacy Trust, which was established in 2011, got a $100-million pledge from the world football governing body, Fifa.
The Trust was intended to be a self-sustaining source of funding for football development, after South Africa hosted the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
“The Trust received around R450 million in 2011 and 2012, with the goal of investing the generated interest to fund football development programmes,” Mhlongo said.
“Over the years, the Legacy Trust received around R160 million in interest but paid out nearly R547 million in grants.
“What’s more alarming is that by February 2018, there were discussions about winding up the trust due to its near-depleted state.
“By the end of 2021, less than R5 million remained, supposedly utilized to “wind up the trust.” This raises the critical question: Where did the money go?”
Jordaan and Safa are yet to release a statement on the growing suspension calls.
