By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa
The South African Football Association (SAFA) and a structure called the National Football Consultative Forum (NFCF) are fight for the control of South African football.
On February Friday 2, SAFA instructed its attorneys to send a letter of demand to the so called National Football Consultative Forum (NFCF) and the individuals who spearhead that campaign to desist from disseminating false, malicious and untrue information about the Association and its President Dr. Danny Jordaan.
“If they fail to do so, SAFA will seek an urgent High Court interdict to stop the defamatory and unlawful conduct of NFCF and the individuals driving their campaign,” SAFA noted.
The NFCF is understood to be driven by individuals like Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana (a former vice president of SAFA), Mandla Shoes Mazibuko, Xolani Mtumtum, Fanyana Sibanyoni among others.
According to SAFA, these individuals have no standing in football because they are not eligible to stand for any position within SAFA structures. They are not registered as SAFA officials, players or referees, said SAFA.
“As a result, the Association cannot take action against these individuals within its own structures; therefore the court action is the only route available, regrettably.
For example, Chief Nonkonyana remains expelled from SAFA and clearly is ineligible to stand for any position; Shoes Mazibuko purports to head the deregistered SASFA which is no longer recognized by Association as representative of schools football.”
SAFA added, “Indeed, today, Friday 2 February 2018, Chief Nonkonyana lost another round in his personal fight with the Association; his application was postponed for an indefinite period and he was ordered to enrol his application in a proper manner in future.”
“The judge was highly critical of his conduct. Chief Nonkonyana is clearly not a fit and proper person to run the affairs of SAFA.”
SAFA also state that others in the NFCF have either been in the SAFA ranks and have failed miserably when in office through incompetence. While some have no experience in running football at all.
Allegations they are falsely peddling of fraud and corruption within the Association are totally unfounded and are false and defamatory, continued SAFA.
“The personal attacks on the SAFA President are untrue, false and unjustified and also defamatory. The Association will not and cannot allow ineligible, disreputable and inexperienced individuals to defame it and cause irreparable reputational harm without bringing those individuals to book.”
According to an AFP report, the NFCF are determined to challenge Danny Jordaan as SAFA president in the elections on March 24. But the election was postponed to a later date, still to be confirmed.
The NFCF have named politician turned businessman Tokyo Sexwale as their preferred candidate to run for Safa president.
NFCF member and former Safa vice-president Nonkonyana said Sexwale would be eligible to run for the presidency.
Nonkonyana commented, “This issue of eligibility has been a stance from the other side, from presidential rival Danny Jordaan’s camp,”
“But I must say that if it is the only leg they are standing on‚ they are going to fall flat. We have carefully read the Safa statutes. As you may know I am the one who was tasked by Safa when Fifa directed all national federations to adopt new statutes that are in line with Fifa.
“I went to Cairo and I presented the constitution to the congress and they endorsed it. In the statutes‚ there is an issue of eligibility and it says members are entitled as of right to nominate a candidate of their choice.
“But that candidate must meet the criteria of eligibility as set out in the electoral regulations. The regulations say that people who are involved in football are eligible but we must avoid outsiders and people who have no clue about football to come and take over football,” added Nonkonyana.
Meanwhile, two Presidential nominations were received by close of business on 23 February 2018.
This was when the South African Football Association (SAFA) was still preparing for the March 24, 2018 Elective Congress to elect new office bearers.
According to KPMG Auditors who received the nominations, a total of 53 nominations were submitted with incumbent SAFA President, Dr. Jordaan receiving 52 nominations. While former referee, Ace Ncobo received 1 nomination.
“The nominations have been forwarded to all SAFA members and going forward, the electoral process will now be exclusively in the hands of the Electoral Committee, in this case, the Independent Electoral Commission.”
The IEC will scrutinise the candidates as mandated by the SAFA Electoral Code to determine compliance in accordance with Article 25 of the SAFA Statutes.
“We shall thereafter inform all Members of the IEC’s decisions following their background and eligibility checks as required by the SAFA Statutes and SAFA Electoral Code,” said SAFA CEO Dennis Mumble.
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