Safa presidential candidate Ria Ledwaba accused her detractors of "dirty politics" after news emerged yesterday that she had pulled out of next week's elective congress.

Ledwaba confirmed late yesterday during the Women 4 Women seminar in Sandton, hosted by her foundation, that she’s going ahead with the elections. This came a day after a judge in her application in the Pretoria high court to interdict the elective congress failed on Wednesday.

Ledwaba, who will stand for the Safa president in June 25 against incumbent Danny Jordaan, applied for the interdict alleging various constitutional and procedural irregularities.

Judge Brenda Neukircher ruled that the application be struck off the roll for lack of urgency. It was believed after this that she had decided to pull out.

But Ledwaba told the guests – who included politicians – yesterday that she is not pulling out from the elective congress next week Saturday.

Among other allegations were that the elective congress has been supervised by a governance committee that was improperly appointed in violation of the Safa statutes and the elections would not be free and fair.

Ledwaba's lawyer Leruma Thobejane had earlier hinted that she may pull out from the elective congress. “The current [interdict] case is still alive. So, it is up to us whether we appeal the judge's decision that the matter is not agent,” Thobejane explained to Sowetan yesterday.

“Although the congress is going to proceed on the 25th of June, the same matter will be heard at a later stage and it can be decided in our favour after that. So, we are going to appeal the judge's decision as from our side, we believe that the application is urgent.

“This will also determine if she is still going to participate in a congress that she believes is unlawful.

“You cannot go and expect someone to be a participant for something which is unlawful and say only come after the elections has been finalised to come and set aside the results of that process that is unlawful that’s what the judge is actually saying.”

A source from Safa yesterday stated that Ledwaba had indicated she would withdraw from the race but had not put this in writing.