The already turbulent corridors of the South African Football Association (Safa) were rocked again late on Friday night when its emergency committee resolved to suspend four members of the national executive committee (NEC) – Monde Montshiwa, Gladwyn White, Emma Hendricks and Orapeleng Setlhare.
The emergency meeting was held at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton and was attended by Safa president Danny Jordaan, the nine Safa provincial chairpersons and vice-presidents, Natasha Tsichlas, Linda Zwane and Bennett Bailey.
The odds were stacked against the outspoken officials who have publicly criticised the leadership of the association and Jordaan in particular.
They have called for Jordaan to be suspended until his court case for fraud is finalised.
The dramatic move, which had still not been formally announced by the association at the time of publication, follows the explosive NEC meeting last Saturday at Safa House.
Viral video clips circulating widely on social media captured scenes rarely associated with the leadership of the country’s football governing body: shouting matches, physical scuffles, and members being restrained as tempers boiled over.
One NEC member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the meeting as descending rapidly into chaos.
The confrontation began when an official rose from his seat and allegedly moved to physically confront Montshiwa.
Security personnel were reportedly summoned, with accusations that certain members were being targeted for removal. The situation deteriorated further when another official allegedly pushed another NEC member and had to be restrained, while a third reportedly grabbed another member by the neck as he attempted to separate those involved.
The meeting was eventually adjourned, and when members returned nearly two hours later, tensions remained high. As the meeting attempted to resume, Montshiwa and White objected, arguing that the session had not been properly reconvened.
According to the source, security was again called, and the meeting collapsed entirely.
Seven days later, the emergency committee moved to suspend White and Montshiwa, together with Hendricks and Setlhare, pending investigation – a decision critics say that reflects selective discipline.
Beyond the political drama lies a deeper legal question.
“The process on Friday was never fair from the start. In fact, it was never fair from the NEC last week,” Lebogang Riet, chairperson of Safa Northern Cape, told Sunday World yesterday. “The process was just to endorse the silencing of people. Jordaan just sat down. He is not fit to run the association because he is conflicted.”
Montshiwa said that the suspension did not come as a surprise at all. “I was expecting it, and I predicted it, but I will challenge the suspension.”
Said Safa in response, “The Safa emergency committee has moved to suspend four members of the national executive committee with immediate effect following a late-night meeting held in Johannesburg on Friday, 13 March.
“This decision will be submitted to the NEC for ratification. Once ratified, the affected members will be issued with formal letters detailing the charges.”
