The proposal that PSL club owners can run for the SA Football Association (Safa) presidency was shot down by members at the Safa extraordinary meeting in Sandton, Johannesburg yesterday.
This automatically rules out Chippa United boss Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi out of contention, after it was reported that he was interested in challenging the incumbent, Danny Jordaan. The motion that the chairman of the NSL/PSL Irvin Khoza cannot contest for the Safa presidency was upheld.
Three regions voted for the chairman of the NSL/PSL to be allowed to stand, including PSL club owners, but they were defeated by a landslide margin, according to Safa legal eagle Poobie Govindasamy.
Also, Safa vice-presidents can’t be elected by the congress in accordance with CAF and Fifa statutes. It was also decided NEC members can vote.
The congress got off to a chaotic start when Safa Tshwane president Solly Mohlabeng tried to raise a point of order. Things got heated when Jordaan refused to let him raise his point of order as he did not follow congress procedures. Mohlabeng was later suspended pending disciplinary action.
“It was a ground-breaking meeting in which the constitutional amendments process we embarked upon in 2018 was finalised. These amendments take the association forward to the next 10 years and the Minister of Sports (Nathi Mthethwa) endorsed Safa as the number one sports federation,” said Govindasamy.
Safa CEO Tebogo Motlanthe said: “The behaviour of the Safa Tshwane president was unwarranted and the congress resolved that he must be charged. My office will be in touch with him and I will send him a charge sheet and a date for the DC because the congress felt he disrespected this meeting of members.
“He wanted to talk before the meeting even started and we are governed by statutes and even when the president asked him numerous times to refrain, he refused and … we were left with no choice but to call security.”
Mohlabeng believes he was targeted and that he is going to challenge the association: “I wanted us to make a roll call to check that everyone is accredited. The president said he was not going to allow me to do that. I pleaded with him to hear me and he said ‘no, you are not going to talk in my congress.’
“I believe I was targeted and treated unfairly. I am going to challenge this because it is not good for football,” he said.
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