SA Football Association acting CEO Tebogo Motlanthe has said that the renewal of the contracts of 18 provincial technical officers (PTOs) is being reviewed‚ and cannot sensibly take place at any rate while football development remains inactive due to Covid-19.

Concerns have been raised from within the organisation that should the two PTOs in each province not continue in their roles‚ this could be a blow to development as they are responsible for coach education and overseeing junior leagues in Safa’s 52 regions and 311 LFAs.

Sources had indicated to SowetanLIVE that Safa not renewing the contracts‚ which ended in March‚ of the well-paid‚ dedicated PTOs had been part of the reason technical director Neil Tovey did not renew his contract at the end of June.

“Let’s clarify it starting with: what was the relationship between the PTOs and the association?” Motlanthe told an online press conference of the SA Football Journalists Association.

“The PTOs were contracted to the association until March – their contract has expired. With contracts expiring we have released all of them.

“And of course after you have employed someone you then have to make a check and say‚ ‘Was it wise to have two instead of one‚ and what actually have they done?’

“Those are the kinds of discussion that we had and unfortunately football is now at a standstill.

“When football returns we will then make a decision of saying‚ ‘Do we need one‚ do we need two?’ And we will reengage them if we feel there is a need.”

Motlanthe denied the issue over the potential discontinuation of the PTOs‚ who had been installed as part of Tovey’s development initiatives‚ played a part in the technical director’s decision to not renew his own contract.

“And of course‚ it was not the reason – and I’m sure even the outgoing TD‚ Mr Tovey‚ has made it very clear that it was not the reason – why he has left. He has given his reasons why he has left‚” Safa’s acting CEO said.

“We value the contribution that was made by the PTOs. But time and again you need to evaluate and say‚ ‘What do you need going forward?’

“And that’s the process I’m engaging in to make a decision on whether we need them going forward‚ have they given us value for the money spent on them? And if we need them under which conditions do we need them?

“And of course the impact [of coronavirus] is that we are not fully operational. It will not be wise to say we want to rush and renew contracts of PTOs for them to stay at home while there is no football activity taking place.”

Safa had been conducting extensive restructuring and austerity measures even before the economic effects to football of Covid-19.