It was one of those weeks where the spotlight once again fell on the South African Football Association (Safa). It was all for bad reasons, following a tsunami of controversies and negative media coverage that have once more visited Safa House. It was all a big mess but yet again, they came out unscathed.
Like an unpredictable, devious midfielder, Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie started the whole shebang, unprovoked. He unleashed a long-range missile during the SA Sports Awards in Sun City on Sunday night.
McKenzie’s sizzling strike caught Safa’s defence – which has been as porous as a fishnet lately, in no man’s land. He demanded that Safa pay back the R20 million he transferred to the federation for the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) project.
You see, it’s been four months since Safa received the funds, but there is no VAR in sight. Safa is still scrambling around like headless chickens to come up with a plan to pull wool over our eyes, once again. Head of Referees Abdul Ebrahim says the process is stuck in the national executice committee’s red tape and bureaucracy.
Said McKenzie on the night: “I wrote a letter to Safa and said they must return the money. They asked for 21 days’ grace. I am just as angry, because what more can I do? I asked them to bring back the money of the state because I am responsible for it.”
Safa have asked for 21 days to do what exactly? To scavenge for some money perhaps or start rolling out the implementation of VAR? My money is on the former.
I think we all know that Safa’s statement that the money “is stored safe in a secure in a separate account, together with the interest accrued, as they are still conducting a comprehensive technical evaluation of VAR technology and service providers” is a lot of hot air.
As an organisation that operates by borrowing from Mbokazi to pay Appollis, I can assure the football loving public that the money is long gone and they’re seeking the grace period to see if they can excavate some funds elsewhere before the loose cannon minister catches them with their pants down and embarrasses them again.
McKenzie was not finished with the association. He went on another tirade accusing them of undermining incoming Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane during the salary negotiations. Said McKenzie: “The problem with us sometimes is that apartheid has done big damage to us, more damage than we could imagine. Pitso is the apartheid legacy in our brains, because we value the black man less than we value a white man.”
Two days later, Safa’s high calibre and heavy artillery including CEO Lydia Monyepao, CFO Gronie Hluyo, vice-president Linda Zwane and chairperson of the finance committee Mxolisi Sibam were summoned to Parliament where they took turns getting their eyes poked by unflinching members of Parliament (MPs). Danny Jordaan was probably relieved to have missed the engagement after one hell of a bumpy ride with the overzealous MPs previously. The MPs wanted Jordaan with their bare hands but the former Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality executive mayor ducked well.
Monyepao dug her heels in, like a true Banyana Banyana stalwart she is, until she was removed from the meeting. Hluyo was as composed as a battle-scarred war veteran, while Zwane, as usual, was taking warm-klaps left and right.
You have to give it to them, these people are survivors. You can send a storm of biblical proportions to Safa House, they will take a few knocks, minor scratches and the following week, it is business as usual as they grind and focus on their next calamities, bloopers and coming projects. Much like the presidential elections in two weeks’ time where they have already made sure that Jordaan will rise to power for his fourth term on the hot seat.
- Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie demanded Safa return R20 million transferred for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) project, as no progress has been made four months later.
- Safa claims the funds are secure in a separate account along with accrued interest and are conducting a technical evaluation of VAR technology and service providers.
- McKenzie accused Safa of undermining incoming Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane during salary negotiations and highlighted racial prejudices as a legacy of apartheid.
- Safa officials including CEO Lydia Monyepao, CFO Gronie Hluyo, vice-president Linda Zwane, and finance committee chair Mxolisi Sibam were summoned to Parliament and faced tough questioning from MPs.
- Despite controversies and scrutiny, Safa is expected to continue operations and focus on upcoming projects, with former mayor Danny Jordaan poised for a fourth term as president of Safa.
It was one of those weeks where the spotlight once again fell on the
Like an unpredictable, devious midfielder, Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie started the whole shebang, unprovoked. He unleashed a long-range missile during the SA Sports Awards in Sun City on
McKenzie’s sizzling strike caught Safa’s defence - which has been as porous as a fishnet lately, in no man’s land. He demanded that Safa pay back the R20 million he transferred to the federation for the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) project.
You see, it’s been four months since Safa received the funds, but there is no VAR in sight. Safa is still scrambling around like headless chickens to come up with a plan to pull wool over our eyes, once again. Head of Referees Abdul Ebrahim says the process is stuck in the national executice committee’s red tape and bureaucracy.
Said McKenzie on the night: “I wrote a letter to Safa and said they must return the money.
Safa have asked for 21 days to do what exactly? To scavenge for some money perhaps or start rolling out the implementation of VAR? My money is on the former.
I think we all know that Safa’s statement that the money “is stored safe in a secure in a separate account, together with the interest accrued, as they are still conducting a comprehensive technical evaluation of VAR technology and service providers” is a lot of hot air.
As an organisation that operates by borrowing from
McKenzie was not finished with the association. He went on another tirade accusing them of undermining incoming Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane during the salary negotiations. Said McKenzie: “
Two days later, Safa’s high calibre and heavy artillery including CEO Lydia
You have to give it to them, these people are survivors. You can send a storm of biblical proportions to Safa House, they will take a few knocks, minor scratches and the following week, it is business as usual as they grind and focus on their next calamities, bloopers and coming projects. Much like the presidential elections in two weeks’ time where they have already made sure that Jordaan will rise to power for his fourth term on the hot seat.
