An explosive dossier has detailed how the South African Football Association (Safa) is in shambles and on the verge of financial collapse due to alleged mismanagement and corruption.
Sunday World has seen the dossier, believed to have been authored by some disgruntled Safa national executive committee (NEC) members.
The revelations come as Safa prepares to elect new regional leadership next year- a precursor for the national conference in 2026 where president Danny Jordaan plans to stand for re-election.
“There are issues that point out to serious governance, financial and operational challenges within Safa that need to be addressed to restore effective functioning and transparency,” the document reads in part.
It also details how several standing committees have collapsed, and that important committees like the internal audit committee are reportedly non-existent. They further alleged that the body’s NEC is overcrowded and needs to be restructured to serve football more effectively, rather than focus on personal interests.
The disgruntled members further note that the resignation of Tebogo Motlanthe as chief executive officer and his subsequent appointment as the organisation’s chief operation officer, was a violation of statutes as proper procedures were not followed.
Some of the critical issues raised include the contravention of procurement policies, which include the awarding of contracts without proper vetting.
“The disappearance of the interprovincial tournaments for the under 17, under 19 and 21 categories is now recognised as a serious challenge for Safa. This affects the development pipeline for young talent and could have long-term implications for South African football.
“The withdrawal of a renowned audit firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, was carried out without the knowledge or consultation of the audit and risk committee, the financial and procurement committee, or the NEC and congress.
“This lack of transparency and communication warrants accountability and raises concerns about the financial oversight within Safa. There are serious issues with independent auditors, raising concerns about transparency,” the dossier reads.
It also raises concern about the unfulfilled commitment of the 2010 Legacy Trust, saying before the unwinding of the trust, “the NEC had resolved to use the final tranche of the grant to purchase 52 Isuzu bakkies for all 52 regions. However, this commitment was never fulfilled. The failure to deliver on this promise not only reflects poorly on Safa’s financial management but also on its ability to honour commitments made to its regional structures.”
However, members who are in support of Jordaan standing for a fourth term say the dossier is just a bunch of sour grapes from their colleagues who are keen to get top positions.
“There are regional elections in 2025, which will be a build-up to the presidential election in 2026. It is just electioneering,” said a member of the NEC.
The likes of Kwenzakwakhe Ngwenya, Natasha Tsichlas, Tankiso Modipa, Jack Maluleka, Andile Ngconjana, David Molwantwa, Pius Nqandela to mention but a few, are said to be backing Jordaan.
The disgruntled members, who have not attached their names to the document, allege Jordaan has found the seat too sweet to let go. What also infuriated members is that other NEC members are now taking personal loans from the cash-strapped association, something that was put on the table by chairman of the finance committee Mxolisi Sibam in the last NEC meeting in Gqeberha three weeks ago.
“Service delivery should be the main focus at this stage. It should be about development at grassroots level. Regions are not getting grants in time, but provincial leaders (NEC members) are getting loans from the association, and this is absurd,” said a Safa member speaking on condition of anonymity.
Safa spokesperson Mninawa Ntloko responded: “We are not responding to documents and allegations made by ghosts. Please produce documents signed by someone. If you want to make serious allegations against someone, then you must put your name on it. Then, we can check the veracity of the claims, and we can respond. But we can’t be asked to respond to ghosts.”
