Bafana Bafana may be on high and in the right groove to qualify for next year’s FIFA World Cup, but things are not rosy in the South African Football Association’s (Safa) head office.
This after Safa CEO Lydia Monyepao wrote to staff members on Monday that the association does not have ‘adequate financial reserves’ to pay employees their March salaries on time and on payday (Tuesday).
Safa employees are paid on the 25th of each month and on Monday, the CEO explained to their workers that they were waiting for a payment from one of their partners and that staff members will only get their salary payments on March 31.
Cash flow crisis
Safa has been engulfed in a cash flow crisis for some time. In November, Sunday World reported that the troubled association failed to pay Bafana and Banyana Banyana players their match appearance fees.
The country’s football custodians were bailed out by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie, who forked out funds for December holiday payments.
Reads Monday’s letter from CEO to staff members, which the Sunday World has seen: “We are writing to inform you that, regrettably, we will not be able to pay your salaries tomorrow (Tuesday).
“Normally, your salaries are paid on the 25th of each month. However, due to a delayed payment from one of our partners, inevitably we will also delay your salary payments. Unfortunately, at this stage we do not have adequate financial reserves to make up for this delayed payment.
Commitment to pay wages on last day of month
“We have received a commitment from the partner that we will have our payment before 31st March 2025. Therefore, your March salaries will be paid by 31st March 2025. We sincerely apologise for this delay and for all the inconvenience that it will cause,” the letter concludes.
The shortage of funds to pay Bafana salaries in November was revealed by SA Football Players Union (Safpu) secretary general Nhlanhla Shabalala, who told Sunday World that senior national team members and Banyana Banyana players were not paid for several months.
For the Christmas holidays, Safa was given a R5-million bailout by the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture to settle outstanding match fees that were owed to Bafana players. Sports Minister McKenzie mentioned that the department gave Safa the money to cover player salaries before the holidays.
