Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula yesterday again stressed that no public funds had been used to pay a bribe towards securing South Africa the right to host the 2010 World Cup.
His worded statement followed revelations by then World Cup bid chief executive Danny Jordaan, who is now the SA Football Association's president, that US$10-million (about R120-million at today's value) was indeed paid through Fifa to the Concacaf football federation.
Jordaan was quoted by the Sunday Independent as confirming payment had been authorised through Fifa, although he said it was not a bribe as alleged by a US district court investigating the world football governing body.
But, Mbalula insisted Jordaan's admission that money exchanged hands should not be read as confirmation that a bribe was paid.
"We wish to reiterate our earlier communicated position that the government and the Local Organising Committee have not expended any public funds in the amount of $10-million towards bribery of anyone to secure the rights to host the World Cup," Mbalula said in the statement.
"Any inference drawn from the statements attributed to Dr Danny Jordaan which seeks to insinuate that our position is contradictory is therefore not only misleading but mischievous at best. We reaffirm our position that no public funds have been utilised to pay any bribe or to commit any unlawful acts."
He accused the media of "playing into the hands of those whose objective is to tarnish the good name and integrity of our country".
Mbalula maintains no bribe paid
Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula yesterday again stressed that no public funds had been used to pay a bribe towards securing South Africa the right to host the 2010 World Cup.
His worded statement followed revelations by then World Cup bid chief executive Danny Jordaan, who is now the SA Football Association's president, that US$10-million (about R120-million at today's value) was indeed paid through Fifa to the Concacaf football federation.
Jordaan was quoted by the Sunday Independent as confirming payment had been authorised through Fifa, although he said it was not a bribe as alleged by a US district court investigating the world football governing body.
But, Mbalula insisted Jordaan's admission that money exchanged hands should not be read as confirmation that a bribe was paid.
"We wish to reiterate our earlier communicated position that the government and the Local Organising Committee have not expended any public funds in the amount of $10-million towards bribery of anyone to secure the rights to host the World Cup," Mbalula said in the statement.
"Any inference drawn from the statements attributed to Dr Danny Jordaan which seeks to insinuate that our position is contradictory is therefore not only misleading but mischievous at best. We reaffirm our position that no public funds have been utilised to pay any bribe or to commit any unlawful acts."
He accused the media of "playing into the hands of those whose objective is to tarnish the good name and integrity of our country".