The SA Football Association (Safa) continues to shoot itself in the foot, as evidenced in the recent mistreatment of Ria Ledwaba, the organisation’s former vice-president.

Two weeks ago, Safa announced that Ledwaba had been declared “persona non grata”, banning her from all SA football activities, apparently for having taken Safa to court to contest the outcome of the 2022 presidential election, where she lost to Danny Jordaan.

This week, Ledwaba received another letter from Safa which rescinded her absurd ban, Safa coming to its senses to acknowledge it has “no jurisdiction” and powers to bar her from football activities.

We agree with Ledwaba that this is another demonstration of gross incompetence at Safa House, where the bosses say one thing, and then contradict it within days.

The question is who issued the instruction to bar Ledwaba in the first place? On what grounds? And who all of a sudden realised the decision to ban her was incorrect and decided to “withdraw” the letter banning her?

Ledwaba has demanded an apology from Safa because her “image has now been tarnished”. But South Africans should be seeking more from this most dysfunctional of football associations.

Last week, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) wrote to Safa seeking clarity on the raid conducted by the Hawks at Safa House on March 8, which investigators said was in connection with allegations of financial mismanagement by Jordaan. CAF has demanded answers, stating it is “concerned about the respect and image of football in South Africa”.

The organisation, led by Patrice Motsepe, asked for “a report indicating that Safa and its president Jordaan at no stage and under no circumstances, violated or breached the CAF and Fifa statutes and regulations”.

While we welcome CAF’s intervention, it would be more effective if answers were required not merely from Safa, but also from people like Ledwaba, who have been ostracised by Jordaan’s years of misrule. Expecting Safa to provide a report on allegations levelled against its president is akin to asking thieves caught red-handed to decide what sanction they should face. Safa is likely to provide an alternative version as to why the Hawks raided Safa House, a version littered with half-truths and fabrications to santise Jordaan’s tattered image.

Instead of asking for answers from Safa House, CAF should find a way of also speaking to disaffected former national executive members and get to the root of the problem at the association. CAF is likely to be pointed to one problem, which we are all familiar with.